Réalisation:
Richard LaGraveneseScénario:
Richard LaGravenesePhotographie:
Jim DenaultActeurs·trices:
Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April Hernandez Castillo, Mario, Kristin Herrera, Jaclyn Ngan, Sergio Montalvo (plus)VOD (3)
Résumés(1)
Erin Gruwell, enseignante novice de 23 ans, a choisi comme premier poste un lycée difficile de Long Beach. Ses élèves l'ignorent superbement et se regroupent en clans, prêts à s'affronter au moindre prétexte. L'ambiance empire au fil des jours, en dépit des efforts sincères et maladroits d'Erin pour prendre en main cette classe d'"irrécupérables". Un incident mineur met finalement le feu aux poudres, donnant du même coup à Erin l'occasion d'ouvrir le dialogue avec les jeunes. Avec tact et humour, en évitant d'instinct le piège du paternalisme, Erin parvient à instaurer avec la classe un vrai rapport de confiance. Pas à pas, à travers l'usage de la parole puis de l'écriture, elle accompagne ses élèves dans une lente et délicate reconquête de leur amour propre, libérant en eux des forces, des talents et une énergie insoupçonnés... (texte officiel du distributeur)
(plus)Critiques (2)
Hilary Swank is an attractive and quality actress who convincingly portrays her roles without fluctuations. She is also the only truly positive aspect of this film, which is undermined by an unconvincing script. It is nice that the story is based on a real event, but the script idealizes and rushes the whole issue too much. The transformation of exemplary delinquents, gang members, and members of street communities into model readers of classic literature and producers of emotional essays is simply too simplistic and ultimately ridiculous. That's not how things work in the real world. The characters are black and white, and the whole film is ultimately more of an activist product than a film about real life. I say this with full awareness that the film's goal of showing that no one is predetermined to fail is very near and dear to me. Overall impression: 45%.
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The topic is appropriately dense and solidly exsecuted in terms of drama. Hilary Swank is spot-on, and the theme of student wars in turbulent L.A., full of ethnic minorities, is very interesting and apparently fairly realistically portrayed. It's not a film you would want to see multiple times, essentially offering nothing new the second time around, but as a must-see within the genre, yeah. Hilary delivers another outstanding performance and confirms that she is currently the best actress in Hollywood.
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