The movie Freedom Writers is a stirring movie about a group of troubled kids growing up in the volatile environment of Long Beach in the midst of relentless violence. Against all odds and with the help of their caring English teacher, Ms. Gruwell, they turn away from violence and take a turn down the right path, finishing high school and some moving on to college. This movie is perfect for showing in a Catholic Morality class because some difficult moral decisions had to be made. Eva, one of the main characters, is faced with the difficult decision of defending 'one of her own' and doing the right thing when testifying in court. Ms. Gruwell is forced to choose between teaching the kids that she has grown close to and her husband. These are examples of the tough moral decisions made in the movie.
In the movie, Miep Gies comes to the school and talks to the kids. She says two very profound things, the first of which being 'I did what I had to do, because it was the right thing to do." She says this when one of the kids told her that she was his hero. She insists that she wasn't, saying that she only did what she had to, and that she had to because it was right.
The second profound thing Gies says is 'Even a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room.' She says this after denying that she was a hero, and saying that all of the kids were her heroes. They all fight to survive, and that anyone, even them, can make the world a better place.
