Certainly the sentiment behind Freedom Writers is admirable and sound. But writer-director Richard LaGravenese takes such an obvious path to get to his equally plain message that his film contains no surprises or deviations from the well-worn formula. After some tense moments early in the film, Erin easily wins over even the toughest of students, all of whom seem to go from functional illiterates to eloquent diarists within the space of a single scene.
And not that she needed a crack habit, but Erin herself is so unbelievably saintlyand her fellow teachers so snivellingly evilthat she's impossible to believe as anything more than an inspiration-bot. Every student is fundamentally good and easily taught and reformed, and the eventual triumph of the human spirit is so predetermined that it's not particularly satisfying. The music swells, the tears well up, Swank smiles lovingly, and the crack pipe starts to look rather appealing.