JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T.
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:37 Rated: R (Language, sex, mature themes)
Starring: Ariyan Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido Director: Leslie Harris Producers: Erwin Wilson and Leslie Harris Screenplay: Leslie Harris Music: Eric Sadler Released by Miramax Films
Chantel (Ariyan Johnson) is a 17-year old high school student living in a housing project in Brooklyn. With excellent grades, high spirits, and even higher aspirations, she intends to graduate a year early, get into college, then go to medical school. As she sees them, her future plans are set in stone. Then she meets Tyrone (Kevin Thigpen). Pretty soon, one thing leads to another, and Chantel ends up pregnant. Undecided about an abortion, she must face critical questions upon which her entire future rests.
JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. (the I.R.T. is a New York subway system) tells a story that has been told a million times before. It's also something familiar on a more intimate, personal level to countless Americans. Nevertheless, as familiar and unspectacular as the plot might be, the manner in which the film looks at the subject is decidedly different. Leslie Harris brings a gritty perspective to this tale, making it seem more fresh and interesting than it actually is, and illustrating that it isn't just boys who live and suffer in the hood.
One of the film's strong points is that it gives us a rather stark view of some of the root causes of teenage pregnancy. In a discussion with some of her friends, Chantel claims that if a man and a woman have sex standing up, she can't get pregnant. Another girl says that pregnancy can't happen during a woman's period, and still another advocates withdrawal as a 100% foolproof method of birth control. These ideas are not just some filmmaker's plot device; they're a legitimate reflection of what a large portion of the teenage population (male and female) believes, and a good indication of why there are so many young mothers.
The questions that Chantel has to answer following her pregnancy are those that every girl in her position is faced with. Should she have an abortion? Can she tell her parents? How will her boyfriend react? She faces the situation by doing her best to hide it and thereby deny its existence, even going so far as to raid the refrigerator by night and throw out food so that her bulging midsection can be explained by midnight binges.
The greatest weakness of JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. is not its story, but an unfortunate tendency to preach to the audience. While I applaud Leslie Harris' desire to get certain issues out into the open (such as the need to give a truer perspective on history than is commonly found in many of America's classrooms), her methods leave a little to be desired. Having one of the characters launch into a didactic monologue not only lacks subtlety, but ruins the atmosphere of the scene. Other movies have found better ways to integrate messages; Leslie Harris should have taken lessons from them.
The production values are low, but this serves to further heighten the sense of starkness. Acting, all done by complete unknowns, varies from excellent (Ariyan Johnson) to mediocre. There are times when some of the performers appear to be reciting something from a script rather than speaking from the heart. Chantel, however, is consistently played with high energy and an appealing sassiness.
Overall, while JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. doesn't have the power or emotional depth of a BOYZ 'N THE HOOD, it is not without its strengths. There are a number of memorable moments. A childbirth scene is one of those. It is perhaps the most realistic that I've ever seen portrayed in a non-documentary--not just a couple of grunts and groans and out pops a baby. So, while the message of the film is as old as human society, the method of its presentation is new enough to make the movie worthwhile.
Rating: 7.8 (B, **1/2)
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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