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. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. "I decided to change some of my ways because I didn't want the system raising my child," she says. In the second segment, she runs away from foster homes to try to live with her mother. Her cousin has to console her. Make sure to answer each of the questions as thoroughly as possible. Abruptly, she halted the conversation. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. In one of the scenes, she even says that no one loves her. Directed by Liz Garbus; director of photography, Tony Hardmon; edited by Mary Manhardt; music by Theodore Shapiro; produced by Ms. Garbus and Rory Kennedy; released by Wellspring. But Vernessa quickly reverts to her old ways, and the scenes of Megan viciously berating her mother for her failures are painful to watch. The relationship between staff and the young women at Waxter is for the most part warm and friendly. Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen in girlhood. The Girlhood documentary highlights the plight of girls in juvenile centers with some psychological disorders. To think that one out of two might have straightened out her life, is not saying that the system works. Ecological Framework One characteristic of resilience that Megan portrays is her perseverance. . But while researching junvenile detention centres she met Shanae who suggested that she make a film about girls. The system essentially gives up on trying to control her and turns her loose to fend for herself. With the help of her mother, Shanae can graduate from high school. Megan, the more unruly of the two is a little older than Shanae. She angrily lashes out at the girl, but shows no remorse when she finds out that she died. She was there as a member of the community and Shanae was a child of the community and therefore her child. How A Violent Teen Who Had Given Up On Life Turned It All Around. Megan admits that when she leaves Waxter she will only be going back to another foster home. Early in the film it is apparent that Shanae doesnt really feel remorseful for the murder of her friend. Unlike Megan, who ends up bitter, Shanae has a positive outlook that things will become better. This time around, she focuses her attention on two young women in Waxter Juvenile Facility near Baltimore, Maryland. What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled. airs Sundays at 9 p.m. 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. Once Shanae begins to face the reality of what she did, she is transferred to a group home and begins to flourish. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Required fields are marked *, College Essay Examples | October 19, 2018. Its no wonder. Garbus, L. (Director). Megan grew up without the love and support of her mother who was in prison for drugs and prostitution. "I'm happy now.". Your email address will not be published. This is where politics comes in and things get ugly. Feb 26th, 2022 Published. 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. Similarly, she seems to suffer from ambivalent attachment because she is always distressed when she is unable to receive affirmations from her mother. 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 Shanae also does well in school finishing fourth in her class. When we meet Megan at Waxter it is clear that she is something of a troublemaker but probably more out of boredom than any malice (Garbus in her DVD commentary says that Megan is actually a very respectful young woman and that one of her main criticism of the Waxter Facility is that there is not really much structured activities for the inmates.). Even though her parent is giving her support, she was still scared of Shanae. The length of her stay at Waxter will depend on whether she can acknowledge what she did and show appropriate remorse. We also met Megan, who, unlike Shanae, was not at the . The domain that best explains Megans attachment issues is the ambivalent/resistant attachment. On Not Rejecting Girlhood: A Conversation with Megan Milks and Marisa Crawford. http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html For example, the filmmaker emphasizes Shanaes growth since leaving Waxter. Third, Shanae becomes emotionally expressive. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.This Documentary/Film \"Girlhood\" is not for any personal financial profit or gain to TheeSymphony'sCulture Channel, but instead only for educational purposes and cultural research. The title Girlhood splits in two on the opening credits, with "girl" and "hood" on separate lines. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. 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. I have three lovely kids," she says. Both girls ended up in the Waxter Juvenile Facility, home to Maryland's most violent offenders.Academy Award nominated director Liz Garbus follows Shanae and Megan for the next three years, as they try to make a life for themselves both inside and outside of Baltimore's juvenile justice system. Dennis Schwartz: Ozus World Movie Reviews, Copyright 2023 - Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. Girlhood[Motion Picture]. Strength-Based Approaches Press ESC to cancel. Shanae's reentry into society was easy, and she does not seem to be struggling in any way. 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. At one point, Megan states that she feels that she is an old woman trapped in a young womans body because she has so much to regret. By what name was Girlhood (2003) officially released in Canada in English? Confronted with her crime, Shanae is strangely detached and has little memory of the incident. Her emotional responses are not well adjusted. 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. He also states that although many of the girls leave Waxter and go on to live lives free of crime, others lives deteriorate when they get back home because of the dangers and tempations of life in their often crime-filled neighbourhoods (remember most of the inmates at Waxler are coming from Baltimore!). 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). Revise AS Level Psychology. Megan, after a failed escape attempt from Waxter, goes into another foster home. Treating the girls girlhoods as linear stories of overcoming erases the fullness, pain and challenge of all that comprises their girlhoods. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. The protagonists are Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen. 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. 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. 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. Garbus rigidity in framing the girls experiences does not allow for the expansiveness and complexity allowed by new theories of girlhood. The film is told from the girls subjective viewpoint and plays as a coming of age story. An Ijaw Story: JOURNEY TO THE PRESENCE OF WOYINGI, Africas 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, African Regional Links: Central/Middle Africa, Literature from the Black African Diaspora, Documentary Review: girlhood by Liz Garbus, Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Black Canadians of Afro-Caribbean Descent. Megan admits to having a special relationship with a fellow inmate which seems to be of a romantic nature. Then, she got up and walked off set. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. 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. She portrays this by her apprehensive response that she gives to her parent. Interviews. I think this is key to Shanaes eventual success. She responded by drinking and drugging, and then at age 12, graduated to murder. 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 . 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. Girlhood focuses on the life of two young juveniles, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen both incarcerated for violent crimes. 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. Megan flounders around for a while and is eventually sent to another foster home, which doesn't work out. Footage of the two girls is then followed along with more title cards that give insight into the crimes they have committed. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. Shanaes development has been disrupted. (2003). Your email address will not be published. She is often well behaved, but she still shows bouts of mischief. She got into a knife fight at 11 with her girlfriend and fatally stabbed her three times. 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. 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. 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. The second part of Garbus film follows Shanae and Megans lives after leaving Waxter. At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. 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). 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.