GIRLS LIKE US
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: undetermined Running Length: 1:00 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Featuring: Lisa Bronca, Anna Chau, Raelene Cox, De'Yona Moore Directors: Jane C. Wagner and Tina DiFeliciantonio Producers: Jane C. Wagner and Tina DiFeliciantonio Cinematography: Tina DiFeliciantonio U.S. Distributor: Undetermined
The winner of the grand jury prize for documentary at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, GIRLS LIKE US takes a look at four years in the lives of four girls growing up in South Philadelphia, not far (but far enough) from the shadow of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. There's nothing extraordinary about any of these girls -- their teenage experiments and experiences with sex, education, and life in general are representative of those of nearly every inner city female struggling to assert herself. What co-directors Jane C. Wagner and Tina DiFeliciantonio have done is paint a quartet of portraits that, while far from complete, offer insight into who these girls are and why they react as they do. And, as GIRLS LIKE US shows, it's surprising how well you can get to know four people in only one hour.
Lisa Bronca is an Italian American who lives with her mother. She's 15 years old when the film begins, and hasn't missed a day of school in three years. Her instruction at the Catholic high school she attends defines her knowledge about sex, and, although she's interested in boys, she thinks that she might remain a virgin until she gets married. By the end of the film, when she's 18 and headed for college, her views about a great many things have changed.
Anna Chau is a 14-year old, first-generation Vietnamese American. She's shy and withdrawn, and often allows her friends to talk for her. Her parents don't allow her to date, although that hasn't prevented her from covert exploration. She's a good student (wants to be pre-med) who has trouble balancing her parents' expectations with her own desires. Her life is contrasted with that of her best friend, Chentevy, who is more outspoken and becomes the victim of child abuse.
15-year old Raelene Cox, of European/American Indian descent, is the saddest of the girls. The mother of an infant (Raelene became pregnant at 14), she must raise the child on her own because her parents' drug dependencies make them unreliable. She no longer attends school and goes through boyfriends at an alarming rate. The father of her daughter is no longer in the picture -- she dumped him because he beat her.
De'Yona Moore, a 14-year old African American, lives with her grandmother and has aspirations of becoming a singer. De'Yona is a strong student at Philadelphia's High School for Performing Arts and sings in her church choir. Her family is tight-knit, with cousins and siblings living together under one roof. The matriarch of the house, De'Yona's grandmother, is an independent-minded woman who doles out practical (if often hard-hitting) advice.
Rather than attempting to chronicle everything that happens to the girls over the four-year period, GIRLS LIKE US presents a number of candid snapshots, visiting each subject once or twice per year and asking questions designed to "catch up" on how their lives are progressing. The directors obviously formed good rapports; the girls are willing to tell things to the cameras that even their parents don't know.
There's a universal quality to the struggles of these teens and, unsurprisingly, sex is a major subject. After all, the years from ages 14 to 18 are when most girls develop a sexual identity. Lisa, Anna, Raelene, and De'Yona are no different, although their views about sex vary considerably. Lisa is curious, Anna is ambivalent, Raelene uses it as a tool, and De'Yona has had the importance of birth control drilled into her head by her grandmother. Not that sex is the only area explored by GIRLS LIKE US. There are economic and educational subtexts, as well as an exploration of how girls are treated differently from boys (this varies from culture-to-culture). Perhaps because of the ethnic diversity of the subjects, race rarely comes into play.
GIRLS LIKE US is a little like a Cliffnotes version of a female HOOP DREAMS. There's not nearly as much detail here, but many of the themes are similar. The girls' aspirations are much less grandiose than reaching the NBA, but, like the protagonists of the 1995 documentary, they must deal with the hardship of failure. During the course of GIRLS LIKE US, there are two pregnancies, a miscarriage, the death of a family member, a disappearance, and a wedding. From a dramatic perspective, these events make for compelling viewing, but the best thing about GIRLS LIKE US are the subjects, and the rare opportunity we're afforded to watch them grow from children into adults.
A NOTE ABOUT WHERE TO SEE THIS FILM: GIRLS LIKE US may receive United States theatrical distribution later in 1997 (according to PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER film critic Carrie Rickey, it's "on the brink of getting a distributor"). Regardless, the movie is scheduled to be shown on PBS some time during the summer of 1997. At this point, I'm not aware of plans for an overseas release.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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