Freedom Writers (DVD)

Two-time Oscar -winner* Hilary Swank stars in this gripping story of inner-city kids raised on drive-by shootings and hard-core attitude -- and the teacher who gives them the one thing they need most: a voice of their own. Dropped into the free-fire zone of a school torn by violence and racial tension, teacher Erin Gruwell battles an uncaring system in a fight to make the classroom matter in her students' lives. Now, telling their own stories, and hearing the stories of others, a group of supposedly "unteachable" teens will discover the power of tolerance, reclaim their shattered lives and change their world. With electrifying performances from its all-star cast,including Golden Globe Award winner** Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) and recording star Mario, Freedom Writers is based on the acclaimed best-seller, The Freedom Writers Diary.

• drama