Just last week Waxter made headline news in Maryland after having been labeled by one childrens rights advocate as a house of horrors. At Waxter, girls like Shanae who have been sentenced for crimes, girls who would make mincemeat of the fillies in Thirteen, are placed alongside those who, as one news story put it, have not been found guilty of anything yet. Except, perhaps, being born poor and grievously disadvantaged. At 14, she was hit by a stray bullet during a gunfight. 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. 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. On the other hand, Girl Hood creates an uncomfortable comparison between Shanae and Megan and their relationship with their mothers. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/girlhood-subjects-get-narrative-feature-829762 We follow them over a period of about three years. April 24, 2023. Decent Essays. She specializes in academic writing, copywriting, business plans and resumes. Abandoned by her mother, a heroin addict turned prostitute, Megan ran away from then different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges. 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. 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. 4 Pages. She has a total of two children and she has graduated from college. From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. Then, she got up and walked off set. Shanae was arrested for murder at the age of 12, after stabbing a friend to death. Or do some simply have the psychological equipment to move on while others don't? a. Shanae is in the juvenile facility for stabbing a friend to death in a fight. 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. Shanae was ten years old when she was gang-raped by five boys. 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Liz Garbus by the Center for Social Media, Movie Fire Craker Website (Liz Garbus Film Website), Your email address will not be published. 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 has lived in foster homes most of her life, as her white mother Vernessa is a drug addict and a prostitute who served a long stretch in jail and is currently once again serving time in the Baltimore Detention Center. It is also quite clear that the staff at Waxter have a special affection for her despite her antics. [ClickEssay Writerto order your essay]. Documentary chronicling America's justice system. She does become bitter in her adult life, but she is self-efficient. In the documentary, she is always trying to contact either the mother or the grandmother. 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. 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. Our managing editor an award-winning journalist has spent the past 7 years refining our roster. Second, she is distressed when her mother leaves. 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. As she grows up, she realizes that she cannot rely on anyone and starts to take better care or herself. Strength-Based Approaches 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, the other young offender continues to practise delinquent . Excerpt from Essay : Girlhood juvenile delinquents, Shanae Megan, Waxter Juvenile Facility Maryland. See production, box office & company info. Both girls are likable, smart young women struggling to overcome traumatic backgrounds. Shanaes development has been disrupted. "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" Follows two female inmates - victims of horrific violence and tragedy - who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center. By end fil There are a number of reasons for why Shanae was able to turn her life around whereas Megan was not. Just check our reviews! Find help here.]. 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. 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. While Shanae sublimates her anger and hurt and moves on with life, for Megan everything is right on the surface. This documentary really touched me and made me so much more grateful for my environment and support. Garbus remarks that the structure within Waxter allows the girls to actually be girls. The disrupted attachment led to a paradoxical relationship with the caregivers in Waxter (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). Megan admits that when she leaves Waxter she will only be going back to another foster home. Part of HuffPost News. 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. However, her mother is a struggling drug addict who is unable to offer the care and support that she required. It indicates that she is wary of strangers (Garbus, 2003). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Megan is doing great for herself At the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village. 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! 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. From there she enrolls in high school, where she places fourth in her class, and plans to attend a community college. No matter how optimistic I am, when I am reaching out to young women, I need to understand different backgrounds. 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. She had many problems communicating with her foster parents, and she ran away ten times before she had even been arrested for aggravated assault. Film Review by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 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. 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). Dennis Schwartz: Ozus World Movie Reviews, Copyright 2023 - Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews. . 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. At Waxter, Megans need for attention and affection, her vulnerablity, are on display for everyone to see. Eysenck, M. (2015). She was there as a member of the community and Shanae was a child of the community and therefore her child. So the question is to what degree do we all have to support children whose families cant? 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. The girls the film follows for three years are Shanae and Megan, as the film begins in 1999. She tries to reach out to her mother multiple times despite being disappointed numerous times. 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. Shanae and Megans girlhoods contain all that which other parts of life contain, and to think of Garbus idea of girlhood as winning at the end of the film is short-sighted and perhaps fails to move forward with Girlhood Studies attention to complexity and fullness (including pain) of this part of life for her subjects. 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. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/movies/film-review-documentary-illuminates-young-lives-crossroads-redemption.html Developmental Psychology: Childhood & Adolescence: Childhood and Adolescence. Your email address will not be published. The title Girlhood splits in two on the opening credits, with "girl" and "hood" on separate lines. Having been abandoned by her mother, with whom she has a very complicated relationship, Megan is desperate for attention and affection. She is often well behaved, but she still shows bouts of mischief. 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. 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. And now I'm doing this film about a little girl, and in many ways she's a precursor to Megan. Megan, we are told, has been in 11 foster houses by the age of 16. This time around, she focuses her attention on two young women in Waxter Juvenile Facility near Baltimore, Maryland. 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. 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. This presumption is damaging because ultimately Garbus makes uncomplicated subjects of the girls. 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. girlhood tells the story of Shanae Owensand Megan Jensen. 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. 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). By Kate Durbin 07/14/2021. This problem has been solved! AQA Psychology: AS and A-level Year 1. The field of Girlhood Studies continues to grow and perhaps offers guidance in understanding where Garbus erred. But while researching junvenile detention centres she met Shanae who suggested that she make a film about girls. You'll get a detailed solution from a subject matter expert that helps you learn core concepts. She then had to go about getting permission to film. Megan grew up without the love and support of her mother who was in prison for drugs and prostitution. Obviously, the director, Liz Garbus, wants to achieve in a documentary the power and. By what name was Girlhood (2003) officially released in Canada in English? Unfortunately, this meant that she wasnt around to supervise Shanae. The DVD has an interesting commentary by Liz Barbus, whose filmogarphy is also provided. 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. Early in the film it is apparent that Shanae doesnt really feel remorseful for the murder of her friend. Her anger keeps her going. Additionally, the film has been criticized for having the drama move the film along. At the beginning of the documentary, Shanae and Megan are 14 and 16, serving time for murder and assault, respectively. [Need anessay writing service? http://articles.latimes.com/2003/nov/14/entertainment/et-girlhood14, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1514431. Other aspects reveal themselves when she grows older. 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. The title of the film is overly simple and, to an extent, revealing in its simplicity. 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. murdering another girl after the two got into an argument. In the lower security facility interview, Shanae reveals that five men gang-raped her when she was young. Shanaes ability to feel remorse for her actions is seen as a key benchmark that needs to be achieved before she can leave Waxter. Megan also shows that she has self-efficacy. Furthermore, at the end of the documentary, she enrolls in a community college nearby. Megan was shuffled through 11 different foster homes, running away from all except one. Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen in girlhood. After watching the documentary, it is easy to see that Megans environment has contributed greatly to her childhood and ultimately her adult life. ''Girlhood,'' which follows Shanae and Megan over three years beginning in 1999, doesn't pretend that a place like Waxter can hope to do the job by itself. Her emotional responses are not well adjusted. Anyone can read what you share. 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. However, Garbus suggests that this is due to the lack of adequate recreational activities in Waxter (Garbus, 2003). 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. Megan also leaves Waxter. http://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-14-et-girlhood14-story.html I didnt see any reason to be as guardedly optimistic as Ms. Garbus seemed to be about stemming this problem through good parenting and realizing that teens are smarter than we think, and sometimes they have no choice but to figure things out by themselves. [Write my essay for me? Get help here.]. New York: Psychology Press. The film is told from the girls subjective viewpoint and plays as a coming of age story. Copyright 2006 - 2023 by CIStems, Inc., d.b.a. Step-by-step explanation. On Not Rejecting Girlhood: A Conversation with Megan Milks and Marisa Crawford. This paper provides a social psychological review of Megan and Shanae from an ecological point of view as well as an attachment perspective.
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