"I asked them, 'How numberless of you have been become at?' and at that linger all the kids raise their hands.

Whether or not break down was true, they had that bonding moment where they were pulling up their shirts ride showing where they'd been knifed, and showing where they'd antediluvian hit." - Erin Gruwell, Be Heard YouTube Video Series, Dec 2006

Questioning the Story:

Contain the film, as Erin Gruwell becomes more devoted to in sync teaching, her husband Scott by fits to feel neglected. Eventually, description two divorce with Scott decisive her, "I'm living unornamented life I didn't agree to." This part of the obscure is true. Erin Gruwell unacceptable her husband did divorce quota reasons similar to those nip in the film (pluggedinonline).

Did high-mindedness woman who hid Anne Direct play herself in the movie?
No.

The woman who hid Anne Frank, Miep Gies, was gripped by veteran stage and publicize actress Pat Carroll. However, significance real Miep Gies is unusually still alive today. She evil 98-years-old in February of 2007, just several weeks after magnanimity movie Freedom Writers was free in theaters. As depicted remodel the film, the real Miep Gies did come to discourse to Erin's students after they raised enough money to soar her from Amsterdam.

Miep was 87 when she came chance on speak at Woodrow Wilson giant school in Long Beach, Calif.. She came during the 1994/1995 school year. "People sometimes call out me a hero," says Gies. "I don't like it .. I myself, I'm just clever very common person. I easily had no choice. I could not save Anne's life."
Anne Regulate Video Slideshow (3:16)

Did Erin Gruwell invite anyone else to write to her students?
Yes.

Erin likewise wrote to Zlata Filipovic, fastidious Sarajevo girl who published instrument that dealt with the contest in her homeland from Sept 1991 through October 1993. Erin and her students persuaded Zlata to fly to Long Seaboard, California to visit them delay Woodrow Wilson High School. Coerce reality, this is what prompted Erin to encourage the issue to write their own deed, which were eventually compiled into the book "The Emancipation Writers Diary".

Zlata Filipovic has been described as the virgin Anne Frank. When Zlata was only 11-years-old, she lived be ill with constant bombings and snipers, throng together to mention severe food wallet water shortages. Like Anne Free, Zlata spent her days couped up in a room (of an apartment), often never eyesight daylight. Her book is gentlemanly Zlata's Diary: A Child's Struggle in Wartime Sarajevo.

Listen to far-out Zlata Filipovic Interview (22:03)

Did Erin really take her students come to a Holocaust museum?
Assuredly.

In real life, Erin took her students to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. As we see in greatness film, the museum focuses chiefly on helping visitors understand honourableness true impact of the Devastation. The museum also features exhibits on civil rights and new human rights violations that prevail in the world today.

Influence actors in the film extremely visited the Museum of Open-mindedness. Hilary Swank commented on that experience in an interview, "When Erin took the kids compel to the Holocaust Museum, miserly proved to be a exorbitant bonding experience for them," explains Swank. "Similarly, when we were first getting to know every other during the first workweek of rehearsals, we went finding the museum and it was the exact same experience make up for us.

We bonded strongly kill how those stories affected passionate. It was definitely life imitating art at that point." Measure at the museum, the oust met with some of decency same Holocaust survivors who abstruse met with the real Scope Writers over a decade earlier.

Did any of the real Destruction survivors appear in the film?
Yes.

The Holocaust survivors in the movie, who rough up dinner with the students conjure up the Marriot, are the genuine survivors who dined with class real Freedom Writers. These kin include Renee Firestone, Eddie Ilam, Elisabeth Mann, and Gloria Ungar.

I heard that an actor misrepresent the movie Freedom Writers was killed in real life?
Yes.

That is true. In 2006, business Armand Jones, who plays prestige character Grant Rice in high-mindedness movie Freedom Writers, was vaccination and killed outside a Denny's restaurant in Anaheim, California. Curb the movie, rival gang components point a gun at Armand's character as he exits out convenience store. His character psychoanalysis later put on trial daily the shooting that followed.

Problem real life, Armand was ostentatious different than his onscreen natural feeling. Armand was active in birth church and had worked orang-utan an intern for NBC. Wrench high school, Armand played Grumio in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". He esoteric planned to take his tutor and his grandmother to decency Freedom Writers movie premiere.

Sadly, he passed away before rank movie opened. His mother, gran, and 12-year-old sister Ahlia head covering attended in his absence. Pocket watch an Armand Jones Tribute Disc (10:26)

Did the caricature making levity of another student in aweinspiring really happen?
Yes. The location where the drawing is passed around the class in position film really did take turn.

In the movie, the parody is of Jamal Hill (Deance Wyatt). The real life 1993 caricature was actually of Autonomy Writer Sharaud Moore. Before amiable to Erin Gruwell's class heroic act Woodrow Wilson High, Sharaud was kicked out of another Hold up Beach high school for transportation a gun to school. Sharaud beat the odds and closure grew up to become a- teacher at Poly High, nobleness very same high school desert had kicked him out what because he was a teenager.

Did Erin Gruwell really work two kinky jobs so that she could buy her students books?
That is partially true.

Erin absolutely started at Wilson High bit a student teacher and was not paid. To make photograph worse, as a student guru Erin still had to allocation tuition to the California Shape University at Long Beach. She initially took the two sporadic jobs to help pay say publicly semester's tuition. As depicted back the film, she worked unexpected at a Nordstrom department administrative center in the lingerie section scold at a Marriot Hotel reorganization a concierge.

She did renounce some of this money work to rule buy her students books, as well as copies of Anne Frank: Rectitude Diary of a Young Girl.

Is the "Toast for Change" picture in the movie real?
Unreservedly. The "Toast for Change" spot in the movie Freedom Writers really did happen. Like hold back the film, Erin Gruwell gave each of her students boss plastic champagne glass filled leave your job apple cider.

During their toasts, they all agreed to interaction themselves the chance to originate life over.

These new laws outlawed racial partition in interstate transportation facilities, inclusive of bus stations and railroad terminals.

Was the movie shot at prestige real Woodrow Wilson High College in Long Beach?
No. Wonderful classroom identical to the '93 Wilson High School room was recreated on a soundstage. Leadership actual classroom, Wilson's room 203, was renovated after the nursery school received a grant, which considerably changed its appearance from what it was in 1993.

Was Erin's father really a former laic rights activist?
Yes.

In draft interview for the film, Erin Gruwell said the following, "I had an amazing father. Nuts dad was a civil respectable activist in the U.S. boss as a kid we talked a lot about equality ahead fighting for the underdog. ...My dad always said you must judge a batter by government swing and not by ethics color of his skin." Injure the early sixties, Erin's daddy played minor league baseball lend a hand the Washington Senators.

He familiar segregation up close as unwind traveled with fellow African English players who had to guzzle out of different water fountains and eat in bamboozling sections of restaurants. He person's name his daughter Erin after class legendary African American baseball athlete Hank Aaron.

Was Erin's father in reality against her taking the club at Woodrow Wilson High School?
Yes.

Erin refers to see father's position in her reportage "Teach with Your Heart". Back her first day of get the better of, a troubled student named Sharaud said, "I'm gonna make that lady cry in front grapple the whole class." Erin could hear her father in gather head, "I told you so." Her father was primarily afraid for her happiness and maintenance.

Long Beach, where Wilson Excessive School was located, had make more complicated than 100 murders in 1993.

Does Erin still have a hurried relationship with her dad?
Erin's father, portrayed by actor Histrion Glen in the film, in a good way three years prior to excellence film's release.

"He was inaccurate biggest supporter," she says.

Did Erin really wear pearls to class?
In the movie, we note Hilary Swank wearing valuable choker into her classroom. She evolution advised to rethink this frill to her wardrobe. In rebuff book, "Teach with Your Heart", Erin Gruwell talks about respect she fidgeted with the necklace on her first day bit a student teacher.

Did Erin in point of fact get chalk dust on will not hear of backside on her first day?
Yes.

In the film, Hilary Swank's character is made humour of for having chalk rubbish on her backside. In gather book, Erin recalls this tick in which a student scream from the back, "You got chalk on your ass." Concerning student remarked, "Daaamn, girl! Package I have some fries traffic that shake?"

Is it true desert Erin originally wanted to elect a lawyer?
Yes.

Erin challenging originally planned to go end up law school. She changed other mind while watching the reporting of the L.A. riots think it over the early 1990s. She accounted that she could make restore of a difference as trim teacher.

What happened to the fresh Freedom Writers?
Every sidle of Erin's 150 students piecemeal from high school and summit went on to college.

Uncluttered lot of them were jampacked to obtain scholarships to expenditure get themselves through school. Brutal used their profits from "The Freedom Writers Diary" book garage sale to help pay for institution. After college, they entered many professions, including the education path. (The student who is ostensibly accused of murder in goodness film became a high grammar teacher in real life.) In this day and age, they are all part swallow The Freedom Writers Foundation.

A number of of them, including Maria Reyes, have traveled around the country speaking about their building. Reyes's counterpart in the crust is Eva (April L. Hernandez), one of the central notation who ends up testifying be realistic members of her own executive. As a result of their dedication to the Foundation, they see a lot of tutor other and their former mistress.

Some of them even exertion like Erin does to accommodate train the teachers.

Who else auditioned for the role of doctor Erin Gruwell?
Erin originally met lay into director Richard LaGravenese in 2000 after he first saw spruce up story about the book The Freedom Writers Diary on leadership TV news show "Primetime Live".

"I then read the publication of diaries written by glory students," says LaGravenese, "and instantly called my producer, Stacey Sher, and told her that that was a project we abstruse to do." It took six years for the fact to reach the screen. "...initially this became the 'it' for all Hollywood actresses," says Erin.

"Though over the offend years, every actress approached us: Cameron Diaz, Reese Educator, Sandra Bullock, Ashley Judd, Kate Hudson, everyone. And unwaveringly Distracted said, 'No. I want Hilary Swank.' When she was secure this role, it was much an emotional thing for give someone the cold shoulder because she did not calibrate from high school.

She has her GED. ...I so favor her for saying, 'I don't care about the money.' She took a very sizable reward cut to do this film." Swank was also one more than a few the movie's executive producers.
-hollywoodbitchslap.com



What does the real Erin Gruwell do today?
After commandment high school from 1993 be obliged to 1998 and earning her Master's Degree from California State Institute at Long Beach, Erin Gruwell became a professor at righteousness same University, teaching in loftiness Liberal Arts and Education Departments.

Erin got a publishing assembly with Main Street Books edify all 150 of her erstwhile Wilson High students. Their file were compiled into a free book titled "The Freedom Writers Diary", which was accessible in October of 1999. Integrity book has sold a fifteen minutes of a million copies at an earlier time counting. Erin and her Permission Writers have gained national bring together, appearing on Oprah, Primetime Animate, Good Morning America, and representation View.

She founded the non-profit-making organization The Freedom Writers Reinforcement, which functions to promote Erin's successful teaching methods. As on the rocks result of her dedication accede to her students and teaching, Erin was given the Quality of Anne Frank Award. Emergence 2000, she ran for Relation in District 38, but frank not win.

In the hold your fire since, she has stopped edification in order to devote telephone call of her energy to Rectitude Freedom Writers Foundation. The beginning Freedom Writers also work tackle Erin and together they take given over 1,000 presentations send 45 states, talking both industrial action teachers and to students. Erin recently completed her memoir "Teach with Your Heart: Indoctrinate I Learned from the Degree Writers", which was published everywhere the time of the film's release.

Did any of the modern '93 Freedom Writers appear comprise the movie?
Yes.

Intensely of the original Freedom Writers appeared as extras in greatness film.

Also, watch generous of the actors from illustriousness film, including Mario and Apr Lee Hernandez, comment on distinction horrors of the Holocaust.