Required fields are marked *. Gender Roles In The Film Girlhood - 623 Words | Bartleby Documentary chronicling America's justice system. But its staff emerges as a caring if overstressed group of people who do what they can to steer the girls in their charge toward a productive life. Garbus remarks during her DVD commentarythat she was torn while making this film because her ultimate conclusion during her experience following these girls lives was that Family Matters. The Girlhood documentary highlights the plight of girls in juvenile centers with some psychological disorders. http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html Girlhood Directed by Liz Garbus Documentary, Crime Not Rated 1h 22m By Stephen Holden Oct. 29, 2003 Liz Garbus's hard-headed documentary film ''Girlhood'' is prefaced with an unsettling. Liz Garbus made The Farm: Angola, USA in 1998, a riveting documentary about six men in a Louisiana penitentiary; it was nominated for an Academy Award. At one point she tells her parents that the girl she murdered actually has it easy because shes just dead whereas Shanae is suffering because she is in detention. Megan, 16, was also involved in a fight and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. At the beginning of the documentary, Shanae and Megan are 14 and 16, serving time for murder and assault, respectively. What both girls crave is the stabilizing force of a caring and responsible mother. The relationship between staff and the young women at Waxter is for the most part warm and friendly. But if the viewer pays close attention to the film and Liz Garbus commentary we learn that Shanaes mother was a single parent working two jobs trying to support Shanae and move her family out of the projects. This presumption is damaging because ultimately Garbus makes uncomplicated subjects of the girls. Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile close-up look at two of the troublesome girls who are representative of the problems society faces. Even though there is an intense argument, after she tells her mother never to talk to her again, she has a nervous breakdown (Garbus, 2003). The girls the film follows for three years are Shanae and Megan, as the film begins in 1999. When Megans mom got released from jail, she even lived there for awhile. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Shanae is 14 and has served two years at Waxter for the murder of her friend, a crime she committed when she as only 12 years old. Second, she is unable to regulate her emotions (Garbus, 2003). Antoinette does her best in extremely difficult circumstances. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Girlhood (2003) - Plot Summary - IMDb Megan flounders around for a while and is eventually sent to another foster home, which doesn't work out. The staff person made it clear that she wasnt there on official business. When she originally returned to Baltimore, Megan's life went downhill. Today, the Baltimore native is living in North Carolina and acknowledges that she wasn't in a good place during her "Oprah Show" appearance. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/movies/film-review-documentary-illuminates-young-lives-crossroads-redemption.html In my own opinion, considering that Megan has to do all this on her own, hers is the greater achievement. Abruptly, she halted the conversation. She does become bitter in her adult life, but she is self-efficient. Your email address will not be published. The film opens with the title card, In the United States, during the last decade, the number of young girls committing violent crimes has more than doubled. murdering another girl after the two got into an argument. Shanae, after much perseverance, overcoming her appalling behaviours and graduate from high school. But not everyone has families like this. Last night I watched a documentary called, GIRLHOOD based on two young girls in the Baltimore juvenile detention center, Waxter. The structure of Waxter allowed Megan to be a child, the streets provide no structure and force her to be more of an adult than most adults ever have to be. Inside, she is desperately frightened of becoming just like her. Its no wonder. Even though she has been through the trauma of murdering another girl, it seems like the rape ordeal was the first trauma that led to the myriad of deviant behavior (Garbus, 2003). Her divorced mom moved to the suburbs to get her out of harms way but Shanae, though never arrested, still managed to find again the wrong friends and display bad conduct at home. Even though she does not get the chance to further her education, she avoids returning to a life of crime (Garbus, 2003). she has come a long way from this documentry i love and am so proud of my sistrr. Because the film does not incorporate the juvenile system that fails Megan and others like her, the focus of the film becomes on the distinction between mothers who neglect their children and mothers who do not. Strength-Based Approaches Well, its also said to be on the increase here in Canada. By Kate Durbin 07/14/2021. Megan Terry, an Obie Award winner, a founding member of the Open Theater group and a prolific feminist playwright who wrote and directed a rock musical on the New York stage that . Confronted with her crime, Shanae is strangely detached and has little memory of the incident. In the film's most compelling scenes Megan confronts Vernessa, who has been released from prison and who professes her love and determination to be an anchor for her daughter. In Garbus version of their lives, these experiences do not bring them down. They emerge triumphant; their girlhood, we end up hoping, will be salvaged. LA Times reviewer Manohla Dargis notes, Garbus obsession with levity ultimately triumphs, leaving us with an unfinished picture: [T]o turn complex and contradictory lives into palatable narratives, is one of the least-examined pitfalls in nonfiction filmmaking. One may wonder how Antoinette could be a good parent considering all the trouble Shanae got into at such a young age. Early in the film it is apparent that Shanae doesnt really feel remorseful for the murder of her friend. Life on the streets in a community where drugs are readily available offers her plenty of opportunities to repeat the same mistakes. New York: Psychology Press. Treating the girls girlhoods as linear stories of overcoming erases the fullness, pain and challenge of all that comprises their girlhoods. One perspective on the film Girl Hood is that it is a highly informative documentary film in which the director does a spectacular job revealing to the world the issues young women such as Megan and Shanae face on a daily basis. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. Excerpt from Essay : Girlhood juvenile delinquents, Shanae Megan, Waxter Juvenile Facility Maryland. She perseveres through challenges in life. She had many problems communicating with her foster parents, and she ran away ten times before she had even been arrested for aggravated assault. The majority of her life, her mother was either on the streets giving into her drug addiction or incarcerated for prostitution charges. How is Megan Jensen from Girlhood doing I just saw the film and was really. "I am halfway through my Associates in Arts degree. This problem has been solved! Open Document. The girls as well as their moms were open and seemed to not hold back their emotions for the camera, with Megan a virtual basket case of excitability and the childish Shanae changing for the better as she matures. "I'm happy now.". Thankfully, her parents point out that being dead is definitely WORSE than being in detention! She gave birth to a daughter and moved to North Carolina in an effort to start anew. The DVD has an interesting commentary by Liz Barbus, whose filmogarphy is also provided. Shanae is 14 and has served two years at Waxter for the murder of her friend, a crime she committed when she as only 12 years old. GIRLHOOD - Dennis Schwartz Reviews "I didn't know how to love anybody or to depend on people because I never had anyone stable enough in my life to actually show me that kind of love and compassion.". AQA Psychology: AS and A-level Year 1. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. In the documentary "Girlhood, " the two main characters Shanae These girls are the subjects of Liz Garbus' documentary, Girlhood. She's Got Moxie: Liz Garbus on "Girlhood" and Lives - IndieWire Megan is not malicious, and her mischief is probably a cry for attention. The 16-year-old Shanae was placed in the Florence Crittenton Group home and the slightly older Megan was rewarded for trying to run away by gaining her official freedom. ~ (Source: Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide). By age 10, she had been committed to two psychiatric hospitals and diagnosed as manic-depressive. The extent of Garbus access to the girls while in detention is remarkable (she states that she eventually had keys to the inside of the Waxter facility because the staff got tired of her and her crews constant requests to get into different rooms). At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. How A Violent Teen Who Had Given Up On Life Turned It All Around Before starting the film girlhood, she actually meant to do a film about young men in juvenile detention centres because from her work on the film Angola, she was intrigued and disturbed by how many of the inmates there said they had learned the tricks of their trade from their experiences in juvenile detention. Issues such as child neglect, failure of the foster care system, alcoholism and drug abuse. Is it maternal nurturing that makes the difference? She is also silly and childish which is what you expect for a girl her age. Too often, I have seen parents make excuses for their children and this I feelhas actually stunted their childrens moral growth and led to them continuing to commit violent acts. A Conversation with Megan Milks and Marisa Crawford - BLARB Anyone can read what you share. The field of Girlhood Studies continues to grow and perhaps offers guidance in understanding where Garbus erred. Assignment #2 In class we viewed documentary titled Girlhood, the film surrounded two teenage girls named Megan and Shanae. This may be a psychological scar due to her relationship with her mother. I think this movie proves this country gives children nothing but lip service. Megan's mother was a drug-addled prostitute, and after being placed in, and escaping from, nearly a dozen foster homes, Megan committed a violent crime. So the films have been very organically connected. Girlhood gives us a glimpse into the lives of two troubled young women who desperately try to forge a new life for themselves against formidable odds. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. How A Violent Teen Who Had Given Up On Life Turned It All Around. I wasn't alone. This confused young girl ran away from ten foster homes and wound up attacking another . Garbus remarks that the structure within Waxter allows the girls to actually be girls. As the film progresses we see Shanae go from feeling very little remorse or even understanding of the consequences of her violent actions, to feeling real remorse and a sense of responsiblity. What is more important is that both boys and girls develop a sense of agency in relation to their aggressive behaviour, and take responsiblity for the consequences of their violent actions. It is during Shanaes interview to get into the lower security facility that we learn that she was also gang raped by five men. This led to a pregnancy at the age of 11 which her mother arranged for her to have terminated because it was feared that because of Shanaes heavy-drinking the baby would have fetal alcohol syndrome. This documentary does look at the intersections of various identities and even struggles, but it fails to count them as essential facets of girlhood for Shanae and Megan. Unfortunately, this meant that she wasnt around to supervise Shanae. You'll get a detailed solution from a subject matter expert that helps you learn core concepts. Shanae also does well in school finishing fourth in her class. Dennis Schwartz: Ozus World Movie Reviews, Copyright 2023 - Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. Step-by-step explanation. The family situation takes over as more important than the help they received through the criminal justice system. "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" That Ms. Garbus was able to get so close to her likable subjects and allow us to see that they are not quite the monsters we might perceive from reading the newspapers about such bad girls, is what makes this film so special. Liz Garbus, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 1999 for The Farm: Angola, USA, shoots in her latest an unflinching cinema verite documentary about two teenager girls who committed violent crimes and are now incarcerated at Marylands Waxter Juvenile Facility. In contrast to Shanaes successes, when out of Waxter, Megan soon runs away from her foster home with no consequences (despite the fact that staying in foster care is a requirement of her patrol), couch surfs for a while and eventually gets her own place with her cousin. The project, titled "Hood Girls," will be written and directed by Miriam Kruishoop ("Greencard Warriors") and produced by Atlantic Screen Productions. The girls crimes obviously color their experiences of girlhood, but they are humanized by Garbus editorial choices through camera angles, the stories we hear, the presentation of various sympathetic or irresponsible adults that accessorize and control the girls lives. [ClickEssay Writerto order your essay]. Running time: 88 minutes. Impact of Trauma Second, Shanae develops a positive outlook. Girlhood (Dir: Liz Garbus, 2003) | Feminist Films in the Swarthmore New York: Psychology Press. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. She stays briefly at another foster home before running away to live with friends and eventually by herself in the treacherous East Baltimore neighborhood where she got into trouble. Profile of Liz Garbus by the Center for Social Media, Movie Fire Craker Website (Liz Garbus Film Website), Your email address will not be published. Other aspects reveal themselves when she grows older. As you watch it, you wish the film would fill in more of each girl's background. As she grows up, she realizes that she cannot rely on anyone and starts to take better care or herself. I dont think its a right-wing conclusion to say that everyone needs family and that strong families raise strong, healthy, happy children who can grow up to be adults who can contribute positively to our society. After her release, 19-year-old Megan appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" alongside another troubled teen, Shanae. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. In one of the scenes, she even says that no one loves her. Filled with a new sense of hope and ambition, Megan got her life together, pursuing an education and focusing on her family. [Write my essay for me? Get help here.]. Volatile, articulate and desperately needy, Megan seethes with bitterness at having been abandoned by her mother, Vernessa, a heroin addict and prostitute, who has spent many years in prison. http://articles.latimes.com/2003/nov/14/entertainment/et-girlhood14, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1514431. At first, Shanae shows no remorse over killing another human being, but gradually she takes a hard look at what she did and is sorry. The documentary "Girlhood" follows the lives of two girls, Shanae and Megan, from 1999-2002, during and shortly after their release from Waxter Juvenile Facility in Maryland. Even though her parent is giving her support, she was still scared of Shanae. She was farmed out to live with a foster parent. While Shanae, the victim of a horrendous violent crime herself as a child, has difficulty coming to grips with the murder she's committed, she's clearly an intelligent, charismatic, and, most importantly, motivated girl. The documentary Girlhood offers an insight on the emotional, psychological, and social reasoning behind the girl's actions. As a left-wing filmmaker, she worried that this appeared to be some sort of right-wing Family Values advocate conclusion. After graduating from the Comosun College's journalism program, she went on to work at community newspapers throughout Atlantic Canada, before embarking on her freelancing journey. Liz Garbus has made other films about life in prison, such as the Academy Award Winning The Farm: Angola. The lack of a proper support system is evident because she does not achieve as much as Shanae who does not falter when her mother dies. Shanae is a plump black girl who mentions she lost her virginity in the Baltimore projects when she was 10, was raped by 5 boys at 11, and did drugs in her adolescent years as she hung out with the wrong friends. This difference in their experiences seems to be related to their familial relationships. 5 Pages. However, Garbus suggests that this is due to the lack of adequate recreational activities in Waxter (Garbus, 2003). Does 'Girlhood' do justice to its subject? - Los Angeles Times MPAA rating: Unrated. In contrast to Shanae, who has a great deal of family love and support, Megan only receives letters from her mother sporadically, and in one scene in the film desperately wants to call her grandmother to see if she is going to visit her. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/girlhood This is where politics comes in and things get ugly. Abandoned by her mother, a heroin addict turned prostitute, Megan ran away from then different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges. The films protagonists, Megan Jensen and Shanae Watkins. In the documentary, we learn that she runs away from foster care eleven times, ten before Waxter and once more after leaving Waxter. Both of the girls have been in the system for years, Megan has been in and out of juvenile detention centers and foster homes for years and is . Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. Decent Essays. Is the Megan inside Waxter the same Megan outside Waxter? Shanae was only 11 at the time and had tumbled into a numbed existence of drinking and drugs after being gang-raped by five boys. Garbus follows Shanae and Megan over a three-year period as they move through the juvenile system, struggle with mixed feelings toward their mothers, comment on the efforts of the staff to set them on the straight and narrow, and try to cope with the changes in their lives. We have already learned that starting at the age of 10, Shanae began drinking alcohol heavily, was running away from home and having unprotected sex. Garbus in her commentary points out that Shanae does not believe that the gang rape should be seen as some sort of excuse for her murdering her friend. Her emotional responses are not well adjusted. Shanae and Megan both experienced similar circumstances that yielded different outcomes. Finally, she becomes distraught when her relationship with her mother ends. All rights reserved. Megan admits that when she leaves Waxter she will only be going back to another foster home. Your email address will not be published. No matter how optimistic I am, when I am reaching out to young women, I need to understand different backgrounds. The second part of Garbus film follows Shanae and Megans lives after leaving Waxter. It indicates that she is wary of strangers (Garbus, 2003). To come to those safe conclusions is something that no one in their right mind would argue, but it really doesnt get to the heart of what has gone wrong in this affluent country that has so many children in trouble with the Man. For example, once the girls are out of Waxter, we see Shanae is doing well in school and even goes to her prom. A lot of this seems due in part to her mother Antoinettes support. So the question is to what degree do we all have to support children whose families cant? Director Liz Garbus See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist Added by 1.8K users 8 User reviews EDPY 303.005 Dr. Armstrong 08 May 2018 Girlhood (2003) Documentary Introduction: The topics presented in this paper include the effects of trauma on two young girls and their incarceration after committing violent assaults. We are introduced to them while they are incarcerated in Waxter Juvenile Detention Center, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. The difference between one girl supposedly climbing out of her bad situation and the other continuing in her dead-end path, is seen as a matter of good parenting and a child willing to change her bad ways. She angrily lashes out at the girl, but shows no remorse when she finds out that she died. girlhood tells the story of Shanae Owensand Megan Jensen. Find help here.]. With the girls going nowhere at Waxter, they were given a new lease on life by changing facilities. Garbus followed Shanaes suggestion and was determined to include her in her film. Hanna has won numerous writing awards. The third is her reluctance to become close with others. Girlhood misses some of the nuance of the girlhoods that it seeks to document in a few ways. For example, the filmmaker emphasizes Shanaes growth since leaving Waxter. They both received open-ended sentences and their release depends on their current jail behavior. Shanae shows certain resilience characteristics that help her reform her life. The title of the film is overly simple and, to an extent, revealing in its simplicity. But in [Garbus] attempt to give their lives a shape that the girls themselves seem to resist, this talented filmmaker has done both herself and them a disservice..