After her Oscar-winning turns as the cross-dressing lesbian in Boy Don't Cry and the butch boxer in Million Dollar Baby, gay-friendly actress Hilary Swank returns to the screen to display her tremendous talent in Freedom Writers. She plays a new teacher at a bad high school who manages, against all odds, to inspire her hardened and cynical students to succeed in their studies.

Adapted from The Freedom Writers Diary, a compilation of journal entries written by real-life high school students, this is yet another heartwarming story about a teacher who turns bad seeds into bright, shiny apples. We have seen many of these stories, from To Sir With Love to Dangerous Minds to Mr Holland's Opus and Music of the Heart. Only last month was there Half Nelson, also about a dedicated teacher who goes the distance for his students.

But despite the somewhat predictable storyline in Freedom Writers, Hilary's strong and appealing performance manages to lift the sentimental material into the realm of good, engaging drama. Maybe it is her guileless toothy smile or her earnest open face, but when she pours out her heart and urges her students to study, you believe every word she says and you want them to succeed too.

A must-see for every gay teacher (we know there are many of you out there!) and Hilary Swank fans.