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(1 - 23) of 23 OFCS Rating: 77% Fresh Page   1   B+ "It may seem like a clichéd mix of Dead Poet's Society and Dangerous Minds on the surface, but writer/director LaGravenese supplies enough fresh content, well-developed characters, and heart to blindside even the crankiest of moviegoers."   FromTheBalcony   Bill Clark C "The film mixes unbearably hokey "my badness" material with something I didn't expect from a picture this threadbare: sensitivity."   OhmyNews.com   Brian Orndorf C "LaGravenese ("The Horse Whisperer") has a tendency to sanitize every scene, and when he hits the audience's emotional sweet spot and a few tears begin to flow, you have the feeling that the release is unjustified."   ColeSmithey.com   Cole Smithey "The plot is predictable, the actors too old to play high school students, and the pacing too slow. But Freedom Writers also argues for listening to teenagers. That alone makes it strange and even a little wonderful."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs 3/4 "Proof-positive that a formulaic plot done to death can still work if enough effort and passion is put into it."   DustinPutman.com   Dustin Putman B- "A spirited and awfully engaging rendition of the ancient Dangerous Minds formula."   Film Blather   Eugene Novikov "Swank's earthiness is key here, and she consistently rises above the story's cliches."   DVD Review   Felix Gonzalez Jr. C "Its obvious good intentions can't compensate for its utter familiarity...just a case of old wine in an equally old bottle."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 4/5 "An inspiring drama about an idealistic teacher who breaks down the walls separating her students from each other and enables them to celebrate their unity in diversity."   Spirituality and Practice   Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 3/4 "For those who see it, the movie has a chance to connect. Freedom Writers is superior to what film-goers typically expect from an early January release."   ReelViews   James Berardinelli 3/5 "I've seen most of this before in other films... But if you like this kind of movie, it shouldn't be a waste."   7M Pictures   Kevin Carr 3.5/5 "Gruwell has done more meaningful work than any of the critics who will brush off her story as sentimental and predictable, and LaGravenese and Swank ... do the story of the real Freedom Writers justice."   Cinematical   Kim Voynar B "By emphasizing her dazzling, toothy smile and can-do cheerleading style, Hilary Swank makes her well-intentioned misfit utterly believable."   Reeling Reviews   Laura Clifford 2.5/4 "Formulaic though it is, the story hits the right emotional buttons and promises that hope and dogged work trump despair."   TV Guide's Movie Guide   Maitland McDonagh B "It would be easy to write off Freedom Writers as another inspirational teacher movie, not to mention one in which the white character saves the minorities, but to do so would be unfair."   Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema   Mark Pfeiffer B- "There is one great scene as Miep Gies, the woman who hid the Frank family, comes to the classroom to tell them that they are the real heroes. But Swank makes Gruwell too saintly and the students too generic for us to feel any real connection."   Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies   Nell Minow 2/5 "The only aspect of these flicks that's changed since the days of The Blackboard Jungle is that the leads have gotten prettier...and whiter."   Film Threat   Pete Vonder Haar 3/5 "While this film has a terrific story, and strong acting anchored by Swank's superb central performance, it's also a little slick and gimmicky"   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline B+ "This is the kind of film that is aimed at young adults but has such quality that it should appeal to more mature audiences, too."   Reeling Reviews   Robin Clifford "While it is, like its genre brethren, inspiring and uplifting, Freedom Writers glosses over so much material that it makes the process look too easy."   Calgary Movies   Ryan Cracknell B ".. for all the dramatic license that writer/director Richard LaGravenese takes in his film, [Gruwell's] story -- and the stories of her students -- are moving."   Seattle Post-Intelligencer   Sean Axmaker 7/10 "Contrived yet inspirational - about transforming anger and apathy into creativity."   www.susangranger.com   Susan Granger Read review   Flick Filosopher   MaryAnn Johanson  (1 - 23) of 23 OFCS Rating: 77% Fresh Page   1