The mystery of the young woman's disappearance haunts her single, middle-aged, working-class mother, Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan), for the duration of Lost Girls intentionally bleak, downbeat, if. She's the sweetheart of the Waxter facility, even if. Running time: 88 minutes. The documentary Girlhood offers an insight on the emotional, psychological, and social reasoning behind the girl's actions. The relationship between staff and the young women at Waxter is for the most part warm and friendly. Our managing editor an award-winning journalist has spent the past 7 years refining our roster. 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. We were introduced to Shanae, a young girl, convicted of murder. By age 10, she had been committed to two psychiatric hospitals and diagnosed as manic-depressive. 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. In the movie, we were able to watch two female offenders in the juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system serves her well, because she's deeply involved in forging her own path. Decent Essays. Not surprisingly, by the end of the documentary she is living alone in Baltimore while Shanae was living with her family and doing well in high school while preparing to attend a junior college. Wake up to the day's most important news. Producers Liz Garbus, Rory Kennedy. Girlhood focuses on the life of two young juveniles, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen both incarcerated for violent crimes. ~ (Source: Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide). Find help here.]. Shanae shows certain resilience characteristics that help her reform her life. 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. On the other hand, Girl Hood creates an uncomfortable comparison between Shanae and Megan and their relationship with their mothers. They both received open-ended sentences and their release depends on their current jail behavior. Times guidelines: Adult language, some drug use, strong emotional content. By end fil Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. Megan, the other young offender continues to practise delinquent . "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" 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. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, t. Additionally, the film has also been criticized for ignoring the workers at Waxter. Juvenile Delinquency She had many problems communicating with her foster parents, and she ran away ten times before she had even been arrested for aggravated assault. Privacy Policy. Shanae and Megans story has reached a large audience and even caught the attention of talk show host Oprah Winfrey, however, many are critical of its overambitious attempts and lack of direction. The most salient factor in Megan's reversal of fortune however was the tireless work that her mother did to ensure that her daughter became an upstanding individual. Hanna has won numerous writing awards. MPAA rating: Unrated. (See also: her 2003 documentary Girlhood.) In American history, the history of juvenile corrections begins in, And since those who are forced into detention are disproportionately African-American, the problems caused by the detention of juveniles is particularly acute in the African-American community. She does become bitter in her adult life, but she is self-efficient. Your email address will not be published. When she originally returned to Baltimore, Megan's life went downhill. Gender Roles In The Film Girlhood. Developmental Psychology: Childhood & Adolescence: Childhood and Adolescence. What both girls crave is the stabilizing force of a caring and responsible mother. Editor Mary Manhardt. associated with girlhood. Anyone can read what you share. Of the two only Shanae receives that nurturing, and it seems to make all the difference. Humanizing those who have committed crimes especially children is a good thing to do, and certainly expands the viewers capacity to embrace complicated narratives and emotions. The film follows them from 1999 through the year 2002. Challenging Attachment 2023, https://www.paperdue.com/essay/girlhood-juvenile-delinquents-shanae-megan-127185, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative The most salient factor in Megan's reversal of fortune however was the tireless work that her mother did to ensure that her daughter became an upstanding individual. In 1997 on a Baltimore street, Shanae got into a fight with 13-year-old Chineye Mills, allegedly over a boy. When she grows older, it is clear that she is still affected by the feeling of neglect and she believes nobody is looking out for her interest (Garbus, 2003). AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New. If the movie suggests that a strong mother-daughter bond is the key to a successful rehabilitation, it is too intelligent to belabor that notion. 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. This fact, combined with the lack of familial support that Megan got, certainly contributed to her continuing to run away from foster homes. Join our weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on women centric, directed, and written films and news. By continuing, you are agreeing to receive cookies. I have three lovely kids," she says. ''GIRLHOOD,'' a new documentary, is a poignant and often distressing look at the lives of two teenage girls, inmates at the Thomas J. S. Waxter Children's Center for juvenile detention near Baltimore. In the documentary, we learn that she runs away from foster care eleven times, ten before Waxter and once more after leaving Waxter. 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. Unfortunately, juvenile crime is becoming more and more of an issue here. 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. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. With the help of her mother, Shanae can graduate from high school. Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. 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. The third is her reluctance to become close with others. There are a number of reasons for why Shanae was able to turn her life around whereas Megan was not. (Watkins stabbed a girl to death in a street fight.) Its no wonder. Megan, however, never received such support from her mother, or from the rest of her family. Megan, the more unruly of the two is a little older than Shanae. From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. Assignment #2 In class we viewed documentary titled Girlhood, the film surrounded two teenage girls named Megan and Shanae. In the beginning, Shanae is not remorseful for committing murder (Garbus, 2003). The two attend classes, hang out (rarely with each other), argue with their adult keepers, pout and rage and confess their secrets to Garbus carefully unobtrusive camera. 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 film then narrows its focus to concentrate on the lives of two teenagers, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen, both incarcerated for assault at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. The new documentary Girlhood isnt a horror movie, but there isnt another movie this year that chills the blood as quickly as the brief exchange caught on camera between a 15-year-old girl and her parents. 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. Feb 26th, 2022 Published. All Rights Reserved. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. The field of Girlhood Studies continues to grow and perhaps offers guidance in understanding where Garbus erred. In class we watched the video Girlhood. Third, Shanae becomes emotionally expressive. While Shanae sublimates her anger and hurt and moves on with life, for Megan everything is right on the surface. 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 states alternately guarded and careless watch. The disrupted attachment led to a paradoxical relationship with the caregivers in Waxter (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html However, after the collective effort from her mother and rehabilitation officers, she becomes emotionally expressive. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates talks with documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus about her new film Girlhood, a chronicle of the lives of two troubled adolescent girls involved in the juvenile justice system . Garbus encountered the girls at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore while making a television documentary about the boys incarcerated there. Strength-Based Approaches Waxter Childrens Center in Laurel, Md., some 20 miles from Baltimore. This age difference is crucial because there is a mutability associated with Shanae had to go to a lower security facility before her mother was convinced that she was rehabilitated. Kennedy, R., and Garbus, L. (2003). Megan, however, was virtually abandoned by her mother and received little support from the rest of the family. Eysenck, M. (2015). Aired on 07/20/2014 | CC tv-pg In 2003, Oprah spoke to Megan, a teenage girl who had spent time in a juvenile detention facility for some of the country's most violent youths. 5 Pages. 2023. She responded by drinking and drugging, and then at age 12, graduated to murder. Then, she brutally stabbed another girl with a box cutter and ended up in juvenile home for some of the most violent young offenders in the country. Newsletters are sent on Fridays at noon EST. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Girl Hood Winner of the audience award for documentary at 2003 SXSW Film Festival, Liz Garbus' "Girl Hood" is a grim but engrossing look at lives of two troubled teens who must convince . Megan, the more unruly of the two is a little older than Shanae. Subsequently, she was always looking for that support and without it had less incentive and means to create a change in her life. Megan also shows that she has self-efficacy. [ClickEssay Writerto order your essay]. Other aspects reveal themselves when she grows older. One of the biggest criticisms that Garbus. 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. 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. ET on OWN. While Shanae told her own story -- murdering another girl after the two got into an argument -- and shared remorse for her violent actions, Megan seemed much more guarded. While taking the country, Following an investigations there were findings that certain violations were evident and specifically those relating to failure to protect confined juveniles from harm; failure to address incidences of youth violence due to inadequate supervision; failure to protect juveniles confined from participation in sexual activity; and excessive use of physical force, among other serious violations all clearly in violation of professional standards and conduct. Second, she is distressed when her mother leaves. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: GIRLHOOD MOVIE REVIEW. Even though her parent is giving her support, she was still scared of Shanae. In one of the scenes, she even says that no one loves her. (2003). As she grows up, she realizes that she cannot rely on anyone and starts to take better care or herself. This documentary follows these two bright but troubled young girls at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Baltimore as they struggle their way toward redemption and understanding. "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.". 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. 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. Girlhoodshows day-to-day scenes in the girls' lives at Waxter, allowing you to really familiarize yourself with them. Through abbreviated, seamlessly edited scenes, the girls are observed lurching through the juvenile penal system by awkward fits and starts. She Alba Sotorra is an independent filmmaker and producer based in Barcelona. 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. 794 Words. Shanae Owens is incarcerated after murdering a friend at age eleven and Megan Jensen for assault with a deadly weapon on a foster sibling. Then, she got up and walked off set. New York: Psychology Press. Oprah later told her she was the first person she had interviewed who had ever walked out on her. http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/movies/film-review-documentary-illuminates-young-lives-crossroads-redemption.html, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/girlhood-subjects-get-narrative-feature-829762, http://sites.google.com/view/ehdwjwbxfu/linkedlist-member-modification-c, thesis statements about the xname sequence. Her mother was largely able to chart Shanae's problem for the duration of the movie, because she cared about her and wanted to see her do better. Furthermore, at the end of the documentary, she enrolls in a community college nearby. Girlhood misses some of the nuance of the girlhoods that it seeks to document in a few ways. "I just lost all respect for myself," she says. The length of her stay at Waxter will depend on whether she can acknowledge what she did and show appropriate remorse. "Excuse me," she said. 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). An alternate perspective of Girl Hood is that it is a film that tries too hard to achieve an ending on a positive note. They focus upon the history of corrections, the history of juvenile corrections, and the history of the standards of juvenile corrections. Garbus rigidity in framing the girls experiences does not allow for the expansiveness and complexity allowed by new theories of girlhood. At the beginning of the documentary, Shanae and Megan are 14 and 16, serving time for murder and assault, respectively. Instead it resembles one of those depressingly familiar, underfunded and understaffed holding pens for social throwaways -- in other words, it looks as much like an inner-city high school as a correctional institution. Required fields are marked *, College Essay Examples | January 23, 2017, College Essay Examples | February 2, 2018. Cannes, this is how its done: projects from female filmmakers are set to kick off and conclude both AFI DOCS and Provincetown International Film Festival. Shanae's family -- and her mother in particular -- repeatedly demonstrated that they loved her and wanted her to make a change for the better. She perseveres through challenges in life. As the documentary end, it is clear that Megan is afraid to trust others. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/girlhood Innumerable advancements and innovations have profoundly contributed to the betterment of the lives of the human race in the twenty first century. But Garbus way of humanizing, in some instances, obfuscates the complexity of struggle, survival and the bad from the girls girlhood. Girlhood juvenile delinquents, Shanae Megan, Waxter Juvenile Facility Maryland. T he 'Girlhood' documentary highlights the plight of girls in juvenile centers with some psychological disorders. FILM REVIEW; A Documentary Illuminates Young Lives at the Crossroads of Redemption and Devastation, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/movies/film-review-documentary-illuminates-young-lives-crossroads-redemption.html. If the movie suggests that a strong mother-daughter bond is the key to a successful rehabilitation, it is too intelligent to belabor that notion. Girls like Shanae and the films other principal subject, Megan, a disarmingly appealing teenager who, bounced from one foster home to another (11 total), landed in Waxter after slicing open another girl with a box cutter. Some are held while they are waiting for a bed in a treatment center. We now have the best team of essay writers in the world. With its drab green walls and sparse furnishings, Waxter is no country club. Megan is not malicious, and her mischief is probably a cry for attention. 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