300 - dropped because Ben had watched it plus I do not think Joy and Adele will like it.
Blood and Chocolate - dropped because of some reason I forgot, though it was supposedly appealing to the girls
Meet the Robinsons - dropped because it was suppose to premiere on 5th April. However when we are at the cinema, it has actually already started airing but seats are going fast
TMNT - dropped because the thought of ninja turtles battling dinosaurs is WAY OUT, even though we will love to see them in action...
The Number 23 - dropped as I remember it's very crappy
Music and Lyrics - will be a good choice but Adele have watched it
Pathfinder - dropped because reviews are bad
Nada Sou Sou - dropped because we have no idea what is it about. The only thing i know is that it's a jap film
Shooter - One of the contenders but seats are running out
Problem with seats running out fast is that we have six people watching, and it will be so difficult to find a chain of seats for us, so we have to look for timings that is not running out fast.
Mr Bean's Holiday was eventually dropped because the seats are running out fast for most of the timings. As we were still thinking and as we saw the very long queue, we were about to concede to not watching anything. Until Adele points out that there's Freedom Writers.
I first know about this movie when I saw the trailer while watching Dreamgirls with Adele and Kel, and at that time Adele was already showing a profound interest in it. Joy was fine with it (... she's fine with anything anyway...), HJ and Kel were fine with it too, and YM to my surprise was already thinking of watching this movie anyway. There's only one timing, but the tickets were still going slow, so Kel and I went to queue up.
When we bought the tics, we were given the choice of whether to buy a combo for $6 which consist of a very large tin of popcorn and a large size 32oz drink. We took it anyway since the amount of popcorn is worth the price (it's still overpriced, but it's cine-snacks, what do you expect anyway?). What we didn't expect is that the girls will soon be "fighting" over that large circular tin can, haha. Ok, they din really fight, it's more like a matter of pushing the tin can to each other, since they are so pacifist. Originally it's only Adele and HJ, but after Joy saw the actual tin can, she said that she wants the tin can too. In the end, the tin can was taken by HJ, and since HJ found (or rather she was given i think) another tin can at the end of the movie, the extra one was given to Joy. (Adele remarked that she has no space in her home anyway for the tin can)
Anyway, here's the synopsis for Freedom Writers, taken from RT:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++SPOILER ALERT++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Based on actual diary accounts of several teenagers following the LA riots, FREEDOM WRITERS is the story of an idealistic teacher’s attempts to make a difference in the lives of her at-risk students. Located in gang-ravaged Long Beach, California, Woodrow Wilson High is a hotbed of violence due to a voluntary integration program which brings Black, Latino, Asian, and White students together. Rather than having the desired effect of creating healthy diversity, this program breeds constant war between all parties involved, the result being daily gun shots, constant racial slurs, and gang violence.
Played largely by young unknowns, the freshman class in question is both naïve and wise beyond its years. While never having heard of the Holocaust, these kids are well-versed in the pain of poverty, the legal system, and death. Despite being up against unthinkable violence, devoted first-time teacher Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) never gives up, slowly bonding with her class of at-first unreachable pupils, breaking down their tough exteriors and getting at the real people beneath through requiring the students keep daily journals. Meanwhile, a strain is put on Erin’s marriage as her student involvement gradually takes priority over her personal life. The intensity with which Erin relates to her work threatens her husband (Patrick Dempsey), who in seeing Erin’s transformation, is reminded of his own stagnancy. Thanks to a catalogue of films including STAND AND DELIVER and DANGEROUS MINDS, any film about inspiring teachers risks feeling redundant and preachy. But writer/director Richard LaGravenese manages to put a fresh spin on this already familiar formula thanks to powerful performances by Hillary Swank, Imelda Staunton, and several newcomers. While slightly predictable, FREEDOM WRITERS critiques the public education system in an ultimately moving way.
Hillary Swank is utterly convincing in her portrayal of Erin Gruwell, which shouldn't come as a surprise as from the production notes, firstly, she was the first actress requested by Ms Gruwell to act as her. Secondly, in order to get involved in the movie, she even took a pay cut. And thirdly, she was so inspired by Ms Gruwell and the Freedom Writers that she interact with them on several occasions to better understand them, and took a part in being the executive producer for this film.
Based on a true story, most of the context have been kept as close to the original as possible. You might think the plot have been too far fetched and exaggerated, but according to the production notes, Director LaGravenese, who is also responsible for screenplay, based the film mostly on the excerpt of the diary and the numerous interviews he has with the Freedom Writers. The diary entries reproduced in the film are used straight from the original text, with the permission of the Freedom Writers. Even they have remarked how close the film is to their actual story, except for the gang-battling part which have been exaggerated to add more suspense to the movie. Yes, even the part about raising money to invite Miep Gies to their school is real. And the four Holocaust survivors who spoke to the Freedom Writers? They are not actors, they are themselves.
The part of the film that perhaps triggered my thinking is where Scott, the husband of Ms Gruwell, decides to divorce her, as she has been spending most of her time either with the kids in her class, or working at two part-time jobs to substantiate activities for again, the kids. One argument that I can remember (may not be entirely reproduced from the film):
Erin: Why can't you be a husband to me, like how a wife is to a husband?
Scott: Because I cannot be that wife.
On first sight, Scott is being very chauvinistic here.
But there seems to be another interpretation to what he says. He might be saying that he's not up to the job of being the support pillar for Ms Gruwell. It's not that he doesn't support what his wife have been doing, heck, he's even proud of her for all the noble stuff she has done. But he cannot handle the guiltiness of not being able to live the way he wants to live. Ms Gruwell has somehow fulfilled her destiny, but he haven't, shown in the film when he's not willing to pursue his dream of being an architect citing he's too old to go back to school. Ms Gruwell did not mean to make him guilty, but it does come nonetheless, whether or not there's the intention in the first place.
I once thought that divorce is something that shouldn't happen in the first place. If you are going to get divorced, why should you get married? If you are not going to love each other, what's the point? Yes, love might get diminished along the way, but i feel that it's the responsibility of the couple to maintain their marriage. Some people might say that they are not fit for each other after all, if then you shouldn't even rush into a marriage in the first place. Some might even say that people will only show their true self after their marriage, well that's yours to blame for not able to realise that and not being able to see through your mate, so you just have to suck it up. The only valid reason i can accept for divorce is adultery.
But as I look at Ms Gruwell and Scott, they got divorced because of totally different reasons. It's not that they do not love each other anymore, in fact they love each other very much. It's not because of a third party either (the kids in her class are not considered to be, as much as I'm inclined to believe so, haha). It's something, I will say, comes along as events progresses. It's not really possible to pit the blame on any of them. Ms Gruwell is just fulfilling her destiny to the best of her abilities, and it's not that she has forgotten about her husband, she hasn't. She shares her stories with the kids with him everyday, and has even invite him to come along on those class activities, which even her own father is also involved in. It's just that she does not have enough time for him, but yet she has been very conscious of him in every way she could. It might not be the best, since she's too occupied with her job to take note of his feelings, but she has been doing her best. Scott is very loving of her wife, can be understanding what she's doing save for a few misunderstandings. But you see, as much as Ms Gruwell wanted a husband to be at home waiting for her to come back and wishing her "Welcome back", or rather as a support she can always rely on, Scott also needs the same thing. However in reality Ms Gruwell was unable to do that, and Scott had to suppress his feelings to accommodate for her. He cares for her, especially when it comes to taking 2 jobs to supplement her main job which he's strongly against, but seeing her determination and passion, he can only let her do as what she wish. As a man, he would want a wife to stay by his side, as a safe haven for him whenever he comes back from battling storms and winds, but Ms Gruwell is not able to fit in that role.
Their expectations of each other is very different, and cannot be fulfilled by neither one either. This change comes about much later after their marriage, so it is something they are not able to foresee. The outcome of their marriage comes unexpectedly, and as events go, the flow is not able to stop.
This led me to think, if I have a wife who is passionately pursuing her dreams, her destiny, will I be able to support her all the way? Or will I break down like Scott, and end up in such a sad outcome? Can my love for her transcends every trap and obstacle in my marriage, and will she be able to understand it? This is a very difficult question to answer right now. I can only wishfully hope that if such a scenario occurs, I will be able to lead up to a positive outcome.
The part of the film that perhaps triggered my thinking is where Scott, the husband of Ms Gruwell, decides to divorce her, as she has been spending most of her time either with the kids in her class, or working at two part-time jobs to substantiate activities for again, the kids. One argument that I can remember (may not be entirely reproduced from the film):
Erin: Why can't you be a husband to me, like how a wife is to a husband?
Scott: Because I cannot be that wife.
On first sight, Scott is being very chauvinistic here.
But there seems to be another interpretation to what he says. He might be saying that he's not up to the job of being the support pillar for Ms Gruwell. It's not that he doesn't support what his wife have been doing, heck, he's even proud of her for all the noble stuff she has done. But he cannot handle the guiltiness of not being able to live the way he wants to live. Ms Gruwell has somehow fulfilled her destiny, but he haven't, shown in the film when he's not willing to pursue his dream of being an architect citing he's too old to go back to school. Ms Gruwell did not mean to make him guilty, but it does come nonetheless, whether or not there's the intention in the first place.
I once thought that divorce is something that shouldn't happen in the first place. If you are going to get divorced, why should you get married? If you are not going to love each other, what's the point? Yes, love might get diminished along the way, but i feel that it's the responsibility of the couple to maintain their marriage. Some people might say that they are not fit for each other after all, if then you shouldn't even rush into a marriage in the first place. Some might even say that people will only show their true self after their marriage, well that's yours to blame for not able to realise that and not being able to see through your mate, so you just have to suck it up. The only valid reason i can accept for divorce is adultery.
But as I look at Ms Gruwell and Scott, they got divorced because of totally different reasons. It's not that they do not love each other anymore, in fact they love each other very much. It's not because of a third party either (the kids in her class are not considered to be, as much as I'm inclined to believe so, haha). It's something, I will say, comes along as events progresses. It's not really possible to pit the blame on any of them. Ms Gruwell is just fulfilling her destiny to the best of her abilities, and it's not that she has forgotten about her husband, she hasn't. She shares her stories with the kids with him everyday, and has even invite him to come along on those class activities, which even her own father is also involved in. It's just that she does not have enough time for him, but yet she has been very conscious of him in every way she could. It might not be the best, since she's too occupied with her job to take note of his feelings, but she has been doing her best. Scott is very loving of her wife, can be understanding what she's doing save for a few misunderstandings. But you see, as much as Ms Gruwell wanted a husband to be at home waiting for her to come back and wishing her "Welcome back", or rather as a support she can always rely on, Scott also needs the same thing. However in reality Ms Gruwell was unable to do that, and Scott had to suppress his feelings to accommodate for her. He cares for her, especially when it comes to taking 2 jobs to supplement her main job which he's strongly against, but seeing her determination and passion, he can only let her do as what she wish. As a man, he would want a wife to stay by his side, as a safe haven for him whenever he comes back from battling storms and winds, but Ms Gruwell is not able to fit in that role.
Their expectations of each other is very different, and cannot be fulfilled by neither one either. This change comes about much later after their marriage, so it is something they are not able to foresee. The outcome of their marriage comes unexpectedly, and as events go, the flow is not able to stop.
This led me to think, if I have a wife who is passionately pursuing her dreams, her destiny, will I be able to support her all the way? Or will I break down like Scott, and end up in such a sad outcome? Can my love for her transcends every trap and obstacle in my marriage, and will she be able to understand it? This is a very difficult question to answer right now. I can only wishfully hope that if such a scenario occurs, I will be able to lead up to a positive outcome.
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