From Dead Poets Society to Dangerous Minds, Hollywood classroom dramas often revolve around teachers connecting with their pupils through literature or tough love. Freedom Writers is no exception. Hilary Swank stars as Erin Gruwell, an English teacher in early 1990s Los Angeles who introduces her racially mixed class of underachievers to The Diary of Anne Frank. This was evidently something of a passion project for Swank (who also executive produces), and it's her likeably gauche turn as the over-eager teacher that gives this movie enough charm to coast by painlessly. It's a simplistic tale about the triumph of nurture over nature, with the kids finding self-respect through writing their own journals. However, writer/director Richard LaGravenese makes it all seem completely implausible, which is quite a feat considering it's actually based on a true story.

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.