Freedom Writers isn’t the first film to feature a teacher using novel methods to inspire inner-city kids. Here’s a brief history of this formulaic plotline.
Blackboard Jungle (1955) –
Richard Dadier is hired at an inner-city school to teach antisocial student thugs led by Gregory Miller (a young Sidney Poitier). One minute Dadier’s trying out some unusual teaching methods, next minute he’s getting death threats against his pregnant wife.
To Sir, With Love (1967) – This time Sidney Poitier is on the other side of the desk as Mark Thackeray, a black teacher hired to teach a class of predominantly white delinquents in London, England. Thackeray throws their text books in the trash (they weren’t using them) and turns his class into an open discussion aimed at preparing his students for life in the real world. Best movie tag line ever: “A story as fresh as the girls in their minis… and as cool as their teacher had to be.”
Stand and Deliver (1982) – Based on the success of Bolivian-born calculus teacher Jamie Escalante, this film tells how he managed to teach a group of troubled L.A. teens that differential equations are more powerful than bullets.
Dangerous Minds (1995) – The real-life story of Marine-turned inner city teacher LouAnne Johnson, Michelle Pfeiffer teaches karate lessons, analyzes Bob Dylan lyrics, dons a leather jacket and swears up blue streaks to win the respect of her unruly class, who initially dub her “whitebread.” Coolio’s hip hop smash “Gangsta’s Paradise” featured on the film’s soundtrack and helped make this rehashed plotline a hit, again.
