Their story. Their world. Their future.
Assigned the thankless task of teaching freshman English at a gang-infested Long Beach, CA high school, a 23-year-old teacher, Erin Gruwell, resorts to unconventional means of breaking through to her hardened students. Despite the initially hostile reaction she receives in the classroom, Gruwell uses the writings of Anne Frank and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo to teach her students not only the basis of the English language, but compassion and tolerance as well. Later, when the time comes to tell their own tales in a project specially designed to explore the daily violence that the majority of students have grown numb to, the barriers that had once stood so strong gradually begin to crumble. When the only chance for survival is to befriend the person who was once your mortal enemy, the world is opened to a whole new realm of possibilities.
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language
Principal Cast: Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey
Director: Richard LaGravenese
After finding a racist drawing, Erin tells her class how hate and propaganda paved the way for the Holocaust.
Themes: Teaching, Bullying, Teasing, Learning, Education, Hate, Discrimination, Racism, Propaganda
3:03
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Erin challenges her students, who value the gang-life over education, about their sense of respect and purpose.
Themes: Respect, Disrespect, Teaching, Learning, Hate, Racism, Legacy, Challenging Authority, Candor
3:02
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Miep Gies, one the Dutch citizens who hid Anne Frank, inspires the students with her powerful testimony and words of encouragement.
Themes: Testimony, Integrity, Light, Influence, Empower, Example, Mentor, Recognition, Role Models
3:01
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