[Kerry]

Freedom Writers

It's a little bit Dangerous Minds but pretty good

Spoiler:

Plot - The storyline with the movie takes place between 1994, beginning with scenes from the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Swank plays the role of Erin Gruwell, a new, excited schoolteacher who leaves the safety of her hometown, Newport Beach, to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, a formerly high achieving school which has recently put an integration plan in place. Her enthusiasm is rapidly challenged when she realizes that her class are all "at-risk" high school students, also known as "unteachables", and not the eager college students she was expecting. The high school students assimilate into racial groups in the classroom, fights break out, and eventually most of the high school students stop attending class. Not only does Gruwell meet opposition from her high school students, but she also has a difficult time with her department head, who refuses to let her teach her high school students with books in case they get damaged and lost, and instead tells her to focus on training them discipline and obedience.

One night, two high school students, Eva (April Lee Hernández), a Hispanic girl and narrator for much of the film, and a Cambodian refugee, Sindy (Jaclyn Ngan), frequent the same convenience store. An additional student, Grant Rice (Armand Jones) is frustrated at losing an arcade game and demands a refund from the owner. When he storms out, Eva's boyfriend attempts a drive-by shooting, intending to kill Grant but misses, accidentally killing Sindy's boyfriend. As a witness, Eva must testify at court; she intends to guard "her own" in her testimony.

At school, Gruwell intercepts a racist drawing by one of her high school students and utilizes it to teach them about the Holocaust. She gradually begins to earn their trust and buys them composition books to record their diaries, in which they talk about their experiences of being abused, seeing their friends die, and being evicted. Determined to reform her high school students, Gruwell takes on two part-time jobs to pay for more books and spends a lot more time at school, to the disappointment of her husband (Patrick Dempsey). Her students start to behave with respect and discover a lot more. A transformation is specifically visible in one student, Marcus (Jason Finn). Gruwell invites various Jewish Holocaust survivors to talk with her class about their experiences and requires the students to attend a field trip to the Museum of Tolerance. Meanwhile, her unorthodox training methods are scorned by her colleagues and department chair Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton).

The following year comes, and Gruwell teaches her class again for its sophomore (second) year. In class, when reading The Diary of Anne Frank, they invite Miep Gies (Pat Carroll), the woman who sheltered Anne Frank from the German soldiers to talk to them. After they raise the money to bring her over, Miep shares her experiences hiding Anne Frank. When Marcus tells her that she is his hero, she denies it, claiming she was merely doing the right thing. Her denial leads to Eva to rethink her plan to lie during her testimony. When she testifies, she finally breaks down and tells the truth, much to some of her family members' dismay and to her own risk.

Meanwhile, Gruwell asks her students to write their diaries in book form. She compiles the entries and names it The Freedom Writers Diary. Her husband divorces her and Margaret tells her she cannot teach her kids for their junior year. Gruwell fights this decision, eventually convincing the superintendent to permit her to teach her kids' junior and senior year. The film ends with a note that Gruwell successfully prepared numerous high school students to graduate high school and attend university.

[Ammi]

Into the Wild - Absorbing true story, thoroughly recommended

[lostalex]

i watched X-men: First Class last night, and i thought it was AWESOME!!!

[Jords]

Happy Gilmore

[Kerry]

Coach Carter


What is happening to me??? I keep watching films!

Moving film. A typical 'lessons to be learnt' one. But a true story. I always love 'em 7/10

[Joelle.]

Originally Posted by Jords

Happy Gilmore

[Joelle.]

Friday The 13th - Where is Jason?

Friday The 13th Part 2 - Why is Jason wearing a sack over his head instead of a hockey mask?

Friday The 13th Part 3 and 4 -

Candyman - Quite Disturbing.

Doomsday - Like 28 Days Later, but different and much worse.

The Crazies - Couldnt tell who was crazy and who wasnt most of the time.

Dawn Of The Dead - Epic

The Cottage - How I wish that Farmer really existed...

[Locke.]

American Pie: The Wedding - 7.5/10

[rk3388]

Originally Posted by Ammi

Into the Wild - Absorbing true story, thoroughly recommended

thats one of my favorite movies! i have it on dvd

I saw a spy kids marathon yesterday aha
And i watched Role models 2 days before that

[GypsyGoth]

The Smurfs, twas ok.


Rise of the Planet of the Apes, pretty good.

[Novo]

Originally Posted by Ammi

Into the Wild - Absorbing true story, thoroughly recommended

Amazing film

[Locke.]

American Pie Presents: Band Camp - 5/10

The story is quite good for a spin off but it is too stupid. At least the original movies are pretty much realistic and the characters have some depth.. Arielle Kebbel was the best thing about this

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Novo

Amazing film

Yes, really thought provoking:

Spoiler:

I'm not sure what to make of Alex/Christopher, he was inspirational, but selfish and unprepared at the same time, but for sure he was unwavering in his determination. It must be hard on his sister though, they seemed to be close and he abandoned her. I can't understand how he had maps of the area, yet didn't realise there was a crossing just a quarter of a mile from where he was. Also I don't know why the ending was changed to him dying of poisoning when it was starvation he died of. He was an amazing guy though and the casting I thought was brilliant, one of the best films I've seen in a long time, just an extroadinary and moving story

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by rk3388

thats one of my favorite movies! i have it on dvd

I saw a spy kids marathon yesterday aha
And i watched Role models 2 days before that

I have rented it for the week and may just watch it again later, I think I would probably say it is one of my all time favourites films too now

[Joelle.]

Black Swan 10/10 - Absolutely incredible film with brilliant performances from Portman, Kunis, Cassel, Hershey and Ryder.

[Beastie]

Orphan.

A fantastic little horror film! I never saw it at the pictures. Had a good twist at the end too! It was a bit gruesome.

[Novo]

Anyone who has seen Orphan should watch Case 39

[Stu]

I only just watched Mean Girls for the first time after finding out that Tina Fey wrote it and that it was in fact a decent film. It's very entertaining with some very clever lines. And I knocked one out. It's practically an hour and a half window to knock one out.

[Novo]

I think the only time i have knocked one out to Lindsay Lohan was in that " I know who killed me " film

[Joelle.]

If you want to knock one out to Lindsay Lohan, I recommend Machete.

[Joelle.]

And anything which involves Tina Fey is automatically funny. Fact.

[Jords]

The Grudge

[Novo]

The Beach 8/10

First time i have seen it for about 8 or 9 years, can't remember liking it as much the first time, not really surprised it has mixed reviews though it's one of those films you either Love or Hate. I love the first part of the Movie right up until they reach the Island but after Richard starts going mad for a bit the story of the film slows down a lot the ending is pretty well done though.. the acting isn't the best but i am suprised Virginie Ledoyen ( the one that plays Françoise ) hasn't been in any big roles since this movie thought she was a decent actress and very very good looking.

[Boothy]

Just watched Up

I thought it was well written with some great characters but got a bit silly towards the end. Still, I really enjoyed it.

8/10.

[Chuck]