The other protagonist is Megan, a troublesome mixed race teen who has a tattoo going up her right arm and is always giggly thinking everything is not serious. The staff person made it clear that she wasnt there on official business. Her mother is a heroin addict and is herself often in and out of jail on prostitution charges. "I am halfway through my Associates in Arts degree. [Need anessay writing service? This problem has been solved! The film leaves us with a final mystery about human development. Assignment #2 In class we viewed documentary titled Girlhood, the film surrounded two teenage girls named Megan and Shanae. 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. Shanae, an African-American who has been at Waxter for two years when the film begins, was sent there after stabbing a girl to death in a knife fight. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/girlhood Her crime was that at 14 she cut up another girl with a box cutter in a dispute, and since shes been at the facility has gotten into some kind of trouble every day. As much of my work is with teenage girls in high school, this issue is both personally and professionally relevant to me, however, I often wonder if girls are really becoming more violent or if our society is just admitting something that has always gone on but we didnt know how to label because of our stereotypical image of girls and women as somehow less aggressive than men. The relationship between staff and the young girls is also essential to how the girls grow and move forward with their lives. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. Thankfully, her parents point out that being dead is definitely WORSE than being in detention! "I don't want to do this no more.". 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. The system essentially gives up on trying to control her and turns her loose to fend for herself. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. 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 . Megan, after a failed escape attempt from Waxter, goes into another foster home. But one is left wondering how this silly girl took it upon herself to attack another young woman with a box cutter (the main reason why she is locked up). Both Megan and Shanae share similar viewpoints for example, they mention that their role model is . This film is not rated. Female Teenage BFF Inmates From Liz Garbus' Doc 'Girlhood' to Get Movie Girlhood Essay | Bartleby Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Megan, the more unruly of the two is a little older than Shanae. April 24, 2023. Her emotional responses are not well adjusted. Girlhood Movie Analysis - 1103 Words | Bartleby "I'm happy now.". Just check our reviews! 4 Pages. Shanae was reintegrated well by her . Girlhood[Motion Picture]. That roster includes ''The Farm: Angola, U.S.A,'' an acclaimed film about the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, and ''The Execution of Wanda Jean,'' a sympathetic portrait of the first black woman executed in America in the last 50 years. In the documentary, she is always trying to contact either the mother or the grandmother. Garbus explains that she encountered the contradictions of Shanae and Megans girlhoods early on; she mentions that she was struck by [Shanaes] little girl-ness, her innocence, but this was complicated by what she learned about the violence of her crime. That is to say, Garbus sees crime and girlhood as opposite experiences. Find help here.]. But while researching junvenile detention centres she met Shanae who suggested that she make a film about girls. The title Girlhood splits in two on the opening credits, with "girl" and "hood" on separate lines. ''Girlhood'' is the newest entry in Ms. Garbus's long list of socially concerned documentaries made for theaters and television. The film left me with mixed feelings about the girls who crave love but seem so self-absorbed that they show so little concern for anyone else not in their radar, as I questioned what kind of punishment should there be for girls who commit violent crimes. Antoinette does her best in extremely difficult circumstances. Over the years, Megan has run away from most of her foster homes in a desperate attempt to reunite with her mother. My Essay Writerwas started by an award-winning journalist who saw the need from students to have someone take care of their annoying assignments for them. She perseveres through challenges in life. With the girls going nowhere at Waxter, they were given a new lease on life by changing facilities. Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen in girlhood. During this scene Megan whines that nobody loves her, she seems to be half joking but one has to wonder. A riveting documentary about two young offenders serving time in a Baltimore juvenile facility and their struggles over a three-year period to forge a new life for themselves against formidable odds. She tries to reach out to her mother multiple times despite being disappointed numerous times. 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. However, Garbus suggests that this is due to the lack of adequate recreational activities in Waxter (Garbus, 2003). Documentary chronicling America's justice system. In the movie, we were able to watch two female offenders in the juvenile justice system. The disrupted attachment led to a paradoxical relationship with the caregivers in Waxter (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). The relationship between staff and the young women at Waxter is for the most part warm and friendly. Liz Garbus's hard-headed documentary film ''Girlhood'' is prefaced with an unsettling statistic: in the last decade the number of violent assaults by under-age girls in this country has doubled. Girlhood was shown at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival and at the South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Girlhood focuses on the life of two young juveniles, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen both incarcerated for violent crimes. Shanae, on the other hand, received strong support and had to follow strict rules her 32-year-old diabetic mom insisted upon, so that when she was released to her home she had someone to lean on for support. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Then, everything changed when Megan got pregnant. Similarly, she seems to suffer from ambivalent attachment because she is always distressed when she is unable to receive affirmations from her mother. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. One characteristic of resilience that Megan portrays is her perseverance. Your email address will not be published. She's Got Moxie: Liz Garbus on "Girlhood" and Lives - IndieWire Developmental Psychology: Childhood & Adolescence: Childhood and Adolescence. They both received open-ended sentences and their release depends on their current jail behavior. The film is told from the girls subjective viewpoint and plays as a coming of age story. As she grows up, she realizes that she cannot rely on anyone and starts to take better care or herself. Mary Celeste Kearney writes that in approaching girlhood, sociological research, interestingly, often focused on female juvenile delinquency. In recent years, however, Girlhood Studies has grown to include and account for multiple narratives of girlhood, and actively attempts not to make girlhood inferior to womanhood, or take it less seriously. The Girlhood documentary highlights the plight of girls in juvenile centers with some psychological disorders. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. She responded by drinking and drugging, and then at age 12, graduated to murder. murdering another girl after the two got into an argument. In the documentary Girlhood, Liz Garbus follows two young women who have encountered numerous misfortunes in the past that led them to implement their violent offences. Shanae was ten years old when she was gang-raped by five boys. How A Violent Teen Who Had Given Up On Life Turned It All Around. Eysenck, M. (2015). It is also quite clear that the staff at Waxter have a special affection for her despite her antics. 5 Pages. 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. Wake up to the day's most important news. AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New. Why is Shanae in the juvenile facility? "I was really, really, really confused at the time," Megan says. Shanaes ability to feel remorse for her actions is seen as a key benchmark that needs to be achieved before she can leave Waxter. She portrays this by her apprehensive response that she gives to her parent. On the other hand, Girl Hood creates an uncomfortable comparison between Shanae and Megan and their relationship with their mothers. Last night I watched a documentary called, GIRLHOOD based on two young girls in the Baltimore juvenile detention center, Waxter. The family situation takes over as more important than the help they received through the criminal justice system. 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. What happened to Megan Jensen from the girlhood documentary? The primary objective of the film is an exploration into the social implications for the increase of crime committed by young women such as Shanae and Megan. Shanae was arrested for murder at the age of 12, after stabbing a friend to death. The film pivots from the girls to their relationships with their moms, as Garbus follows their development from girls into young ladies. 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. 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. Garbus encountered the girls at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore while making a television documentary about the boys incarcerated there. Girlhood (2003) Documentary - YouTube When she originally returned to Baltimore, Megan's life went downhill. For example, the filmmaker emphasizes Shanaes growth since leaving Waxter. The girls tragic relationships with their mothers, their struggles with sexuality, their experiences with rape and sexual assault, drug use and poverty have shaped their lives in and out of jail. http://articles.latimes.com/2003/nov/14/entertainment/et-girlhood14, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1514431. The protagonists are Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen. Shot on digital video and Super 8 film over the course of three years, "Girlhood" provides a partial account of what happened to Shanae and Megan under the state's alternately guarded and. Challenging Attachment After Megan and her mother have falling out and are no longer speaking, the film again shifts focus to Shanae, who has now just lost her mother to heart failure. 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. Additionally, she still struggles after growing up, but she ensures that she never becomes an addict (Garbus, 2003). At Waxter, Megans need for attention and affection, her vulnerablity, are on display for everyone to see. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/movies/film-review-documentary-illuminates-young-lives-crossroads-redemption.html Documentary looks at girlhood violence - Deseret News Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center.Documentary chronicling America's justice system. she has come a long way from this documentry i love and am so proud of my sistrr. In Garbus film, Shanae and Megans girlhood set up a dichotomy: girlhood is good, everything else threatening, extraneous and intrusive, instead of part of the story of girlhood itself. Additionally, the film has been criticized for having the drama move the film along. 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. While Shanae sublimates her anger and hurt and moves on with life, for Megan everything is right on the surface. 'Girlhood' compelling and frustrating, too - Baltimore Sun We now have the best team of essay writers in the world. A story of mothers and daughters, crimes and consequences, and strength in the face of unimaginable adversity, girlhood is a testament to the faith and struggles of two girls just trying to grow up. "I just lost all respect for myself," she says. A wild, tough-talking girl of mixed race who has run away from 10 foster homes, she was incarcerated for attacking another foster child with a box cutter. At the opening of the film girlhood by Liz Garbus, viewers are informed that the rates of young girls being charged with violent crimes is on the increase in the United States. She is often well behaved, but she still shows bouts of mischief. After her release, 19-year-old Megan appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" alongside another troubled teen, Shanae. Girlhood worksheet 1 .docx - Girlhood Worksheet Please - Course Hero Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter. There was nothing in this film that led me to believe that society has a handle on the current youth crime situation, and that made me sadder than the plight of these two confused girls who were trying to grow up too fast and came up short. http://sites.google.com/view/ehdwjwbxfu/linkedlist-member-modification-c, Your email address will not be published. I dont think girls are really less aggressive than boys, nor do I think we should somehow pathologize aggressive and violent behaviour by girls but see it as a given among boys. Early in the film it is apparent that Shanae doesn't really feel remorseful for the murder of her friend. This paradoxical relationship with her parent is evident (Brody & Dwyer, 2016). By end fil There are a number of reasons for why Shanae was able to turn her life around whereas Megan was not. 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. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled. "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.". In the film Girlhood by Liz Garbus we are introduced to two young girl's named Megan and Shanae, who committed a crime and are getting help through a facility that helps young girls reflect on their actions. Unlike Megan, who ends up bitter, Shanae has a positive outlook that things will become better. Our managing editor an award-winning journalist has spent the past 7 years refining our roster. By Kate Durbin 07/14/2021. In an interview with NPR, the films director, Liz Garbus, admits that Girlhood was originally a documentary about incarcerated boys, but the girls stories were more interesting to her. The popular phrase "Out of sight, out of mind" expresses the indifference of most Americans toward young offenders serving time in juvenile facilities. ~ (Source: Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide). I think this is key to Shanaes eventual success. This confused young girl ran away from ten foster homes and wound up attacking another . From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. The films protagonists, Megan Jensen and Shanae Watkins. 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. Even though her mother has a problem with drugs and prostitution, she is distressed when she does not receive visits or calls from her. Abandoned by her mother, a heroin addict turned prostitute, Megan ran away from then different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges. The first example is how wary she is of strangers (Eysenck, 2015). Girlhood (Dir: Liz Garbus, 2003) | Feminist Films in the Swarthmore girlhood tells the story of Shanae Owensand Megan Jensen. She had lived in an environment that was full of disruption. Strength-Based Approaches The girls have traumatic experiences that affect their relationship with others. 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.