I saw the movie preview for The Freedom Writers Diary when it came out years ago. It seemed interesting, but I knew my family wouldn’t want to see it. The title also threw me, because I connected it with the Freedom Riders of the 1960s.
This summer the Bangor Public Library started a program for teens of reviewing a book and a movie together. My kids liked the idea, but found it difficult to do many in a 6 week period. I found The Freedom Writers Diary on a shelf for this program. I hadn’t known there was a book or that it was nonfiction. I grabbed it for myself-and the mind-blowing process began.
I read the book before the movie-as is proper-so I don’t know how much it affects the fact that I like the book better. There is the freshness factor. Also the book goes more in depth into several of the students’ stories, despite the fact that the diaries are written anonymously. Incredible as it may seem, there is much more in the book. Even so, the movie compares favorably with the book.
One of the things handled effectively in the movie is the administrators of the school. Erin Gruwell did run into resistance from other teachers and school administration, but there was less focus on it in the book, despite needing to fund her teaching with another job and ask for help from private contributors. There was less focus, because it isn’t what is most important. For the movie, it worked well and was clarifying.
I was afraid the movie would seem phony or minimize the greatness of what really happened. However, the actors’ performances were real and soulful. It was said a few times in the extras on the DVD that the lives of the actors cast parallel their characters. It seemed to me that they became the characters. Some of them were obviously moved by the story and their participation in the film.
I am glad a movie was made, since more people will be reached. I believe the movie is inspiring also, though I think the book makes a bigger impact.
