This fact-based story of Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) and her devotion to her Long Beach, California, class is pretty amazing. There is no sentimentality in this story and yet the viewer feels for these students and the tragedies they have endured-tragedies of gang-related deaths and a neglect at home of many of these kids. Gruwell finds a way to relate to the students, many of which have an African-American, Latino, and Aisan background. She manages to get them involved in writing their own journals, visiting a Holocaust Memorial, reading Anne Frank’s diary, and they even bring in Miep Gies, who helped Anne Frank and her family hide.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of “realism” by the filmmakers, the film crosses the line by using very strong language, and violence. We unfortunately cannot award our Dove Seal to this otherwise dramatic and gripping true story.