- Fair for Its Day: Nowadays, the film is widely regarded as a quintessential “white savior” film, and all the racial implications that trope comes with. However, the story is told with some accuracy, and it does uplift the BIPOC students in a way that other such films don’t. It also highlights the systemic racism that these kids deal with that forces them into their situations in the first place.
- Iron Woobie: Erin, considering she goes hard to help her students when all she gets is scorn from the staff and other teachers because she's teaching "the unteachables".
- Jerkass Woobie: All the students are unpersonable at first, but it becomes more understandable after their tragic past. They lose the "Jerkass" part as the movie goes on.
- One-Scene Wonder: Miep Gies doesn't get much screentime, but damn, is she memorable!
- Questionable Casting: The idea of Pat "Ursula the Sea Witch" Carroll playing Miep Gies will probably get a raised eyebrow from more than a few people. Luckily, she delivers an awesome performance.
- Retroactive Recognition:
- Ben Samuels, the Token White kid is played by Hunter Parrish, who would go on to star in Spring Awakening and the 2012 revival of Godspell.
- Tito is played by Gabriel Chavarria, of East Los High and War for the Planet of the Apes fame.
- Joe Seo of Cobra Kai fame, plays an uncredited extra in Erin's class.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/YMMV/FreedomWriters
FollowingYMMV / Freedom Writers
Go To
