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. Second, she is distressed when her mother leaves. With the girls going nowhere at Waxter, they were given a new lease on life by changing facilities. Hanna has won numerous writing awards. It indicates that she is wary of strangers (Garbus, 2003). She is briefly reunited with her mother but cannot forgive her for not being there when she needed her most. At the beginning of the documentary, Shanae and Megan are 14 and 16, serving time for murder and assault, respectively. 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. The title of the film is overly simple and, to an extent, revealing in its simplicity. Excerpt from Essay : Girlhood juvenile delinquents, Shanae Megan, Waxter Juvenile Facility Maryland. Obviously, the director, Liz Garbus, wants to achieve in a documentary the power and. Required fields are marked *. This time around, she focuses her attention on two young women in Waxter Juvenile Facility near Baltimore, Maryland. Shanae was reintegrated well by her . 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. Feb 26th, 2022 Published. 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. In the documentary, we learn that she runs away from foster care eleven times, ten before Waxter and once more after leaving Waxter. This film is not rated. 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. ''Girlhood'' is the newest entry in Ms. Garbus's long list of socially concerned documentaries made for theaters and television. Shanae, after much perseverance, overcoming her appalling behaviours and graduate from high school. You watch Megan go from being a silly little girl at Waxter to being a bitter, angry and hard woman so quickly that you cant help but be reminded of Mr. Godseys point about these girls needing structure. 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. She had lived in an environment that was full of disruption. Shanae was raped by five teenagers when she was eleven and then was arrested and convicted for stabbing a friend to death with a knife when she was twelve. Girlhood misses some of the nuance of the girlhoods that it seeks to document in a few ways. At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. Thankfully, her parents point out that being dead is definitely WORSE than being in detention! Furthermore, at the end of the documentary, she enrolls in a community college nearby. Megan also shows that she has self-efficacy. Miriam Kruishoop ( Greencard Warriors) has signed on to write and direct Hood Girls, a narrative feature based on the life stories of the two subjects of Liz Garbus ' 2003 documentary Girlhood . 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. Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. 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. What happened to Megan Jensen from the girlhood documentary? 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. Filled with a new sense of hope and ambition, Megan got her life together, pursuing an education and focusing on her family. From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. This documentary really touched me and made me so much more grateful for my environment and support. Everything is "for the children"; however, this is powerful evidence to the contrary. We can see for ourselves how much love they need and how dangerous it is to think that institutions alone can solve these societal problems. In her commentary on the film, available on the DVD, Garbus admits to being struck by Shanaes intelligence and cutesiness (she was wearing pigtails at the time) and then shocked to discover that Shanae was locked up for murder! 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. 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. 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. 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, this dissertation provides a compelling argument. Their stories are depicted in the 2003 documentary Girlhood. Girlhood Worksheet Please complete this worksheet based on the film Girlhood. Additionally, she still struggles after growing up, but she ensures that she never becomes an addict (Garbus, 2003). It is a sign of her resiliency that she manages to handle a tragedy that would have unsettled more wobbly teenagers. I wasn't alone. Developmental Psychology: Childhood & Adolescence: Childhood and Adolescence. Your email address will not be published. Both girls are likable, smart young women struggling to overcome traumatic backgrounds. Garbus remarks that the structure within Waxter allows the girls to actually be girls. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Shanae was raped by five teenagers when she was eleven and then was arrested and convicted for stabbing a friend to death with a knife when she was twelve. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. Megan, a pretty girl with a devilish gleam in her eye, tries to get by on charm, but she doesn't have Shanae's focus. Then, everything changed when Megan got pregnant. By age 10, she had been committed to two psychiatric hospitals and diagnosed as manic-depressive. [Need anessay writing service? Megan had given up, and even ended up back in jail. However, after the collective effort from her mother and rehabilitation officers, she becomes emotionally expressive. The length of her stay at Waxter will depend on whether she can acknowledge what she did and show appropriate remorse. 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). The documentary, indeed, treats girlhood as its subject a phase of life distinct from womanhood, childhood or any other experience. She specializes in academic writing, copywriting, business plans and resumes. 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. Megan, we are told, has been in 11 foster houses by the age of 16. 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. As a child, her mother was absent. She portrays this by her apprehensive response that she gives to her parent. Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter. Her emotional responses are not well adjusted. April 24, 2023. 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. Shanae even overcomes the death of her mom three months later from a heart attack and goes on to graduate from a public high school and enroll in a community college. It is also quite clear that the staff at Waxter have a special affection for her despite her antics. But Garbus way of humanizing, in some instances, obfuscates the complexity of struggle, survival and the bad from the girls girlhood. 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. girlhood tells the story of Shanae Owensand Megan Jensen. And now I'm doing this film about a little girl, and in many ways she's a precursor to Megan. Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen in girlhood. In this field, deadlines are super important. The girls have traumatic experiences that affect their relationship with others. We also met Megan, who, unlike Shanae, was not at the . Girlhood (2003) - Plot Summary - IMDb Shanae also does well in school finishing fourth in her class. ESSAY WRITING SERVICE SAMPLE: LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, ESSAY WRITING SAMPLE: CORNING INC. COMPANY PROFILE CASE STUDY, RESEARCH PAPER ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT, How realism, a theory of International Relations, can apply to Foreign Policy, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: GIRLHOOD MOVIE REVIEW. 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. The family situation takes over as more important than the help they received through the criminal justice system. 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. Eysenck, M. (2015). 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). A narrative feature based on the two subjects of Liz Garbus' 2003 documentary "Girlhood," young female inmates Shanae Watkins and Megan Stahl, is in the works. At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. Girlhood Film Analysis - 794 Words | Studymode I think this movie proves this country gives children nothing but lip service. 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. 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. Interviews. Early in the film it is apparent that Shanae doesnt really feel remorseful for the murder of her friend. 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. In the second segment, she runs away from foster homes to try to live 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. As the documentary end, it is clear that Megan is afraid to trust others. Other aspects reveal themselves when she grows older. The film is told from the girls subjective viewpoint and plays as a coming of age story. Girlhood Directed by Liz Garbus 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This may be a psychological scar due to her relationship with her mother. One characteristic of resilience that Megan portrays is her perseverance. A lot of this seems due in part to her mother Antoinettes support. 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. Megan professes a love for her absentee and irresponsible mother, but does not receive the same support that Shanae gets from her more caring mom. She is also silly and childish which is what you expect for a girl her age. 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. However, Garbus suggests that this is due to the lack of adequate recreational activities in Waxter (Garbus, 2003). 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. Miriam Kruishoop (Greencard Warriors) has signed on to write and direct Hood Girls, a narrative feature based on the life stories of the two subjects of Liz Garbus 2003 documentary Girlhood. In the lower security facility interview, Shanae reveals that five men gang-raped her when she was young. a. Shanae is in the juvenile facility for stabbing a friend to death in a fight. Question: In the documentary "Girlhood, " the two main characters Shanae and Megan had two very different reintegration experiences after being placed in a detention center. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. Finally, she becomes distraught when her relationship with her mother ends. girlhood documentary - Next Step Online Both Megan and Shanae share similar viewpoints for example, they mention that their role model is . 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. Often it's not enough. GIRLHOOD - Dennis Schwartz Reviews Megan admits to having a special relationship with a fellow inmate which seems to be of a romantic nature. But the reality is that Shanae, because of the support of her family, is able to overcome the trauma of her childhood and the impact of her crime and graduate from high school and go on to community college whereas Megan, without really any family support, is only able to struggle, her greatest achievement being that she doesnt return to crime or become a hardcore drug addict. Then, she got up and walked off set. The documentary follows the plight of Megan and Shanae (Garbus, 2003). "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New. The disrupted attachment led to a paradoxical relationship with the caregivers in Waxter (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). Shanae started drinking with her cousin. "Girl Hood" is a documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus that follows two teenage girls, Shanae and Megan, over the span of three years, from the time they are in the all-girls juvenile detention center at Thomas J.S Waxter Children's Center in Laurel, Maryland, to when they are out in the real world. Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. Dennis Schwartz: Ozus World Movie Reviews, Copyright 2023 - Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. She is a very smart girl who rejoices when given a chance to move on to another facility and then return home to her father and mother. In the documentary "Girlhood, " the two main characters Shanae 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. In the end, it seems the title Girlhood is both revealing and a misnomer: this film is about the liminal space of girlhoods colored by destabilizing events in their lives (and the larger systems and circumstances dictated by a society that easily discards the humanity of girls, people of color, queer people, differently abled people and poor people). Megan, the other young offender continues to practise delinquent . You'll get a detailed solution from a subject matter expert that helps you learn core concepts. Unlike Megan, who ends up bitter, Shanae has a positive outlook that things will become better. 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. Inside, she is desperately frightened of becoming just like her. She's Got Moxie: Liz Garbus on "Girlhood" and Lives - IndieWire After her release, 19-year-old Megan appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" alongside another troubled teen, Shanae. As she grows up, she realizes that she cannot rely on anyone and starts to take better care or herself. Girl Hood was released in 2003 and since then has won many awards. The documentary Girlhood juvenile delinquents Shanae Megan Waxter Sometimes, it is members of our own families that expose our children to drugs and alcohol, something I have often seen growing up in my own neighbourhood. While Shanae sublimates her anger and hurt and moves on with life, for Megan everything is right on the surface. "I decided to change some of my ways because I didn't want the system raising my child," she says. The film pivots from the girls to their relationships with their moms, as Garbus follows their development from girls into young ladies. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Additionally, the film has also been criticized for ignoring the workers at Waxter. 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. Garbus interest in and empathy for her subjects and, more importantly, the way in which she relays their girlhood, makes for an entertaining and emotional documentary, but perhaps an incomplete one. Even though her parent is giving her support, she was still scared of Shanae. Megan flounders around for a while and is eventually sent to another foster home, which doesn't work out. How is Megan Jensen from Girlhood doing I just saw the film and was really. This comment is echoed by Mr. Godsey, a staff at the facility, who states in the film that although the girls dont like structure they need it because they havent had it at home.