Freedom Writers
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Blu-ray Disc REVIEW
Freedom Writers
Blu-Ray
Studio: Paramount/MTV Films
Film Year: 2007
Film Length: 2 hours 2 minutes
Genre: Drama
Aspect Ratio:
• 1.85:1 Theatrical Ratio
Film Resolution: 1080p
Special features: 1080p/480i
Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Colour/B&W: Colour
Audio:
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Film Rating: PG-13
Release Date: May 22, 2007
Film Rating: 4/5
Starring: Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey, Mario
Based on the book THE FREEDOM WRITERS DIARY by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell
Written and Directed by: Richard LaGravenese
FREEDOM WRITERS is the latest in a long line of inspirational classroom dramas based on true stories including STAND AND DELIVER and DANGEROUS MINDS. As with the prior films, this one centers on a teacher who does the impossible with a group of students that nobody believes in, especially the students themselves. As the film begins, we see Hilary Swank playing the part of real-life teacher Erin Gruwell preparing to teach her first English class and there’s a palpable sense that the teacher has no idea what she’s in for in a lower level school plagued by gang violence. Half an hour later, she’s starting to make an impact, and once she gets the kids to start writing their experiences and feelings down, the movie takes flight. (As it turns out, the journal entries featured in the film actually come from the real journals included in the book on which the film is based.)
At a certain point, the film becomes inexplicably moving in ways that are hard to describe. Suffice it to say that as Gruwell reaches her students on the screen, the film starts to reach its audience. The performances are heartfelt and committed throughout, even Patrick Dempsey in a fairly thankless role as the husband left at home. The film bends some of its facts in telling and compressing its story, but it’s true to the spirit of the book and of the young students it honors.
VIDEO QUALITY 4/5
FREEDOM WRITERS is presented in a solid 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer that accurately presents a variety of flesh tones throughout, and has a pretty solid black level. The settings for the film are either drab and urban or fairly understated so there isn’t much in the way of stunning vistas or tremendous detail work to evaluate. The primary detail that is clear to see is the evident age on Scott Glenn in a cameo as Swank’s father.
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5
FREEDOM WRITERS is presented in a 640kbs 5.1 Dolby Digital in English, French and Spanish. As with the picture, there aren’t a lot of flashy fireworks here. The score and the frequent hip-hop songs fill the surround channels when they join a scene, and the occasional atmospheric flourishes provide a little action. (There is an occasional moment of gunfire or a directional sound effect, but these drop away as the film goes on) Voices are clear throughout.
SPECIAL FEATURES 3/5
The Blu-Ray release of FREEDOM WRITERS contains almost an hour of extra features and a commentary to boot. Other than the theatrical trailer for the film, all the extras are presented in non-anamorphic standard definition.
• Commentary by Richard LaGravenese and Hilary Swank: Hilary Swank joins director Richard LaGravenese for a spotty commentary track that is punctuated by many long pauses as they settle down to watch the movie in silence. (At the start of the film, they admit they are doing this on the day of the premiere of the film and it’s the first time Swank has seen the completed movie.) There are occasional moments of interest as they discuss the real people who inspired the film’s characters, or where some on-set anecdotes are related. (Swank relates the story of being star struck meeting Imelda Staunton at an Oscar gathering before they started the movie.) But there really isn’t a lot to this track that you can’t pick up from watching the various featurettes.
• Deleted Scenes (11:01 total): A few deleted scenes are included here, adding a bit more depth to some parts of the film, but nothing that was missed in the final cut. One entire sequence centers on Gruwell bringing her class to see SCHINDLER’S LIST – something that was either deemed unnecessary or unfeasible. There is a clearer effort in the deleted material to show the nasty treatment Gruwell received once her efforts made the newspapers, and to show one of her students volunteering to drive a stranger home. But again, there’s nothing here that truly needed to be in the film.
• Making “A Dream” (5:25): This is a brief look at the making of the will.i.am/Common collaboration heard over the end credits. Both men comment on their efforts, passing compliments to each other and to the film.
• Freedom Writers Family (19:21): This is a pretty standard featurette about the making of the film, including the usual interviews, film clips and on-set footage. As an added bonus, the featurette also includes the real Erin Gruwell, with a joint interview of her and Hilary Swank thrown in for good measure. Most of the focus here goes to the young actors playing the students, and they’re fairly earnest about their roles and themselves. It’s interesting to note that almost all of them identify with their characters and with the situations shown in the film. This featurette really brings home the fact that this was not a big budget production – there are no major stars in the film other than Swank, who did the film as a labor of love. There’s not a lot to go over here – the film is fairly simple in story and execution, but a good attempt is made to give everyone their say on it.
• Freedom Writers: The Story Behind the Story (10:03): This is a brief extension of the interviews done for the making-of featurette, centering more on Erin Gruwell and the publication of her students’ journals. There isn’t a lot of new ground here, as the interviews are limited to the same people we saw in the last featurette. There isn’t any interview material with the real students – just the cast talking further about what they learned. In at least one case, the interview and film clip material has been recycled between the two featurettes.
• Theatrical Trailer (2:31): This is the only special feature in HD, in this case a 1080p MPEG-2 presentation of the original theatrical trailer. As an interesting feature, the trailer includes a phone number to call Paramount for group tickets – presumably teachers wanting to take their classes.
Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish on the feature itself and in English for the featurettes. A scene index has been included with the feature presentation. The usual pop-up menu capability is available here as you watch the film, but not the featurettes. The usual Paramount Blu-Ray trailer plays when you first put the disc in, but you can skip it with the menu button.
IN THE END...
FREEDOM WRITERS is a moving and intelligent film that goes over some pretty well-trod ground, but does so in a fairly satisfying manner. To be honest, this isn’t a film that cries out for the ultimate HD transfer in sound or picture, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the film to have a solid 1080p picture. If you’re curious about the film or appreciate the subject matter, it’s a good movie to check out. I have a feeling this disc has already been grabbed by fans of Hilary Swank, and likely many fans of Patrick Dempsey. (One final note – Erin Gruwell has commented her own appreciation for the casting of “McDreamy” as her movie husband…)
Kevin Koster
May 24, 2007.
