Stacey Sher

A true story about a teacher in a racially divided school who gives her students what they've always needed, a voice. Erin Gruwell comes to a southern California high school bubbling over with naive optimism. She quickly discovers that her unruly classroom is not easily won over by her good intentions. After a few floundering attempts to connect with her students, Gruwell gives them the assignment of keeping journals about their own lives, This assignment...

Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, this film tells the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice.