We intend to spread awareness of Afro American culture and provide researchers, scholars, enthusiasts, and fans a platform to explore. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Yo, when Im with my friends, I act like it dont matter, cuz it dont! "These pieces of money helped, but of course you never have enough," Harris laughs. The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Cant find it anywhere so Im assuming its made just for the movie but it really is NO WHERE. "MIRAMAX" and the "Miramax" logo are the registered trademarks, trademarks and service marks of Miramax, LLC. Theres much to marvel at in the film: its assured tone, its vibrant depiction of early 90s Brooklyn, the trenchant script which handles notions of teen pregnancy with care, but my kind keeps coming back to Johnsons performance. was given a digital restoration in 4K and was shown on the 2022 Sundance Film Festivals digital platform. the scene right after she finds out she's pregnant where she's waiting in line at the welfare office & staring in horror at a woman with a screaming kid is too real, the world was robbed of a dozen more Leslie Harris movies a film hollywood dared not do and they still havent. Of course, the writer/director never made anything again because we live in a terrible world. Buy this movie and watch it with your children or better yet, watch it BEFORE you have your children. I watched them all growing up; I even laughed and cried at them inspired by the fate of the protagonist but also feeling extremely invisible, because these stories were not mine. At the same time, Harris also employs the very self-conscious technique of direct address. I wish Leslie Harris made more movies. I searched high and low for this movie. And this story of a gutsy black girl living in Brooklyn would soon open the door for other films of its kind and caliber; "Crooklyn" (1994, Zelda Harris), "Our Song" (2000, Kerry Washington), "Akeelah and the Bee" (2006, Keke Palmer), "Pariah" (2011, Adepero Oduye) and the highly anticipated ". It really profoundly affected me when I found out she was pregnantjust how it changed her life, the whole responsibility of it," said Harris. I was told, Hey, why dont you make it into a documentary? Except for Julie Dash, we havent really had an African-American woman who has done a feature-length, black-woman film. "I think in a lot of films you have teenagers who appear to be older than they are, or act older," she points out, breaking down the saccharine teen prototype. I wanted to have the film very bright, not dark and bleak, just a difference in perspective of how life goes on.[7], Ariyan A. Johnson was cast in the role of Chantel from over 200 hopefuls. Rashawn, Amiri the experience is universal. Someone suggested that she do a baby X and get on the phone to the less financially-challenged brothers and sisters. "My home, which had been the residence of dollies, tripods, cameras, now had no food in the refrigerator, but cans of short ends. It does not store any personal data. I laughed at a lot of the scenes. , Number of discs Subway cars with door chimes were not built until 1971. So too does Johnsons performance, which ranges from skitlike and comedic to sharp-edged and smooth and furiously dramatic. Its a story about controlling your narrative told through the lens of a gum-popping, slick-tongued, A-student who just so happens to be black. At her first stop, Schloss Lieser in Germany, she explores the hotels rich history and vision, the adjacent vineyards of the famous Moselle valley, and the unique flavors of the region. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. , Release date the first film directed by a Black woman to get wide-release distribution. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". A Publication of The Gotham. ': Black Girlhood On Film", "The Lasting Appeal of 'Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. But "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. : Chantel looks around here and decides shes not going out broke and fighting like her folks. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Nothing on this soundtrack. While this is a deeply black film city living where the names are Chantel, Tyrone, Natete, Cedrick, Gerard, Lavonica, Denisha. Shes bold, earnest, yearning, vulnerable in ways she doesnt realize and brash as hell. "The feeling that youre experiencing this girls life along with her. "People be trippin' when they find out how smart I really am!". , Ariyan A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Chequita Jackson, Jerard Washington, Studio "[15] Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle wrote Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Tyler Young is a former news producer turned comedy writer. (1992) officially released in Canada in English? How can a girl that is so intelligent act so dumb? [9][1] The Miramax deal made I.R.T. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Shot in seventeen days on a shoestring, this first-time feature from writer-director Leslie Harris - a black woman understandably fed up with male dominance in movies - is cause for celebration. Thanks! She sweats the boys. : Installed by the Revive Ad Server to distinguish users. Chantel Mitchell, a hip, articulate, black high-school girl in Brooklyn, is determined not to become "just another girl on the IRT" (one of NYC's subway lines). [18] In 2020, a retrospective article in The New Yorker stated the film captures the complex social pressures facing a Black teenage girl and argued filmmakers have "dared not do another film like it. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. ", And, like a dream, doors opened up for the young director: Hollywood starlets were fist-fighting on Melrose for the coveted lead role; Julia Roberts was thinking of plastic surgery to have her nose broadened or not. Was really taken by this, its passion and earnestness and lack of interest in being palatable or preachy for white audiences; a wonderful and under-appreciated film with a very impressive central performance from Ariyan Johnson. I started off with two temp jobs, this idea for a script, and no money. The train they are on was built in 1962 does not any door chimes. This movie reminds me of my own experiences growing up in inner city NYC as well as how important it is for parents to be available and supportive to their children. Our understanding is that it is in correlation to Fair Right Use. hit theaters. I love this movie. "Not Just Another Girl" Music and Lyrics by Genarvis Albright Produced by Michael Raye Performed by Ron Grant "Daddy's Little Girl" Written by Sid Reynolds and Suzanne Vega Used by. And despite the fact that Chantels dad warns her about boys from the projects, she never gets "the talk" from her parents. in the film's title stand for "Interborough Rapid Transit", which refers to a number of New York City's subway systems. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T is Harris' first and only feature film to date. Start Your Free Trial New subscribers only. While guided by her intelligence and sassy personality, she can't help but to face the struggles that plagues many teenage girls. (1992) Soundtracks It looks like we don't have any Soundtracks for this title yet. "Basically when I started I just wanted to do a film about young black women. This Saturday, Leslie Harriss only feature to date, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., from 1992, will be screening at Film Forum, in the series Black Women: Trailblazing African American Actresses & Images, 19202001, introduced by the filmmaker. Then I started to apply to other places the Jerome Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, American Association of American Video and Filmmakers, emerging artists grants." Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Her intense and serious emotion and breezy comedy, freewheeling excitement and acerbic cruelty, self-awareness and self-delusion tumble upon one another with a hectic clash of tones that evokes the whirling spectrum of Chantels emotional world. Used to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. Long before I first watched MTVs "Teen Mom," or "Riding in Cars with Boys" with Drew Barrymore, or "Fifteen and Pregnant" with Kirsten Dunst, Id already seen my fair share of cautionary tales about life as a young mother. And between 1991-1994, birth rates were higher for black teens than any other group. Amazon.com: Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. I love jazzy music with snaps in the background. "[Miramax President] Harvey Weinstein came to look at the film and said, I want it." When Just Another Girl opens in February, Leslie Harris and America will have another first. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Used by Permission of MCA Music Publishing Co. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. ", "25 Years Later: Catching Up With Just Another Girl On The I.R.T Director Leslie Harris", "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. The filmmaker knows that Hip Hop culture is a youth culture after 21, 22, youre already too oldand so in the film, the older black folks, full of worries and fear, are depressing. The actress playing the main character had some charisma, but otherwise the acting is really terrible, even for an indy. By what name was Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Like the prince on the eleventh hour of a fairy tale, like Richard Gere at the end of Pretty Woman, Miramax, after reading about the plight of this struggling filmmaker in Amy Taubins trade column in the Village Voice, made her acquaintance. [DVD] : Ariyan A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Chequita Jackson, Jerard Washington, Tony Wilkes, Karen Robinson, . I was told, Hey, why dont you make it into a documentary?"[7] At that time, the only prior feature-length film to be directed by a Black woman and get theatrical distribution was 1991's Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash. When she began writing Just Another Girl, Anita Hill's testimony against Clarence Thomas during his Supreme Court nomination confirmation proceedings was being televised. I recognized her as Aisha from "The Steve Harvey Show," but in this starring role, she played the polar opposite of the black girl next door from a WB comedy. : ", Ah, the miracle of distribution, the indie nirvana not only did Harris slave over the making of it, but people will actually see this one. Report this film, Instead of a parable on choice, this film avoids the act of choosing all together, using this lack of action to instead focus on other issues of teen pregnancy, emphasizing Chantel's immaturity and irresponsibility and showing how misinformation can lead to her circumstances. The analytical isolation of Ladj Lys first feature, a nominee for the Oscar for Best International Feature, comes at an artistic price. The other day, I was on the number 2 train with my friends, just buggin out, having a good time, and people started starring at us like we were some sort of street girls with no future. "People werent really receptive to the idea of doing a film about a woman," Harris recounts. She wants to graduate a year early and get to college (and leave the neighborhood) all the faster; she also wants a social life, and struggles against her wary and protective parents for a bit of freedom. I automatically created a timestamped link based on the time you mentioned :). "[11] Though some critics described the film as "awkwardly staged"[12] and said the second half loses its footing,[13] many agreed the film was groundbreaking for featuring the perspective of a teenage girl, in comparison to other Black coming-of-age films like Boyz n the Hood, Juice, and Straight Out of Brooklyn. Director Leslie Harris Writer Leslie Harris Stars Ariyan A. Johnson Kevin Thigpen Ebony Jerido See production, box office & company info Watch on SHOWTIME with Prime Video Channels They didn't get that baby outta that dumpster soon enough. did. Chantel Mitchell, a hip, articulate, black high-school girl in Brooklyn, is determined not to become "just another girl on the IRT" (one of NYC's subway lines). Is that sound morning sickness or Memorex? Synopsis. Her experience wasnt out of the ordinary and it still isnt. Performed by B.W.P. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. "[19], Leslie Harris has spoken of the difficulty of producing any further feature-length films despite positive reviews of her directorial debut. : For her, the pubescent girl-woman is the most edgy and clear place to get at he truth of "coming of age." Its protagonist, Chantel (Ariyan A. Johnson), is a junior in a Brooklyn high schoola black student in a school and a neighborhood where all of her classmates and all of her friends and acquaintances are black. Whether its in Chantels confrontations with a white teacher who responds with hostility to her challenge to an educational system that has little to say about the African-American experience, her sparring with a sympathetic clinic counsellor (Chequita Jackson) whos legally barred from discussing abortion, her reckoning with violence in the streets, or her clash with the schools principal (Wendell Moore), society at large is an active participant in the movies drama and, above all, in the formation of Chantels inner life. Twenty-five years later, we need these stories more than ever, and Im thankful Harris paved the way for them. The film premiered at the 1992 Toronto International Film Festival and later screened at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. An arrogant Brooklyn teen grapples with an unwanted pregnancy. New Releases. Chantel is very ambitious (pre-med designs in high school, good grades, etc. "When I wrote the script I knew I would have a limited budget, limited locations. But personal and sexual challenges confront Chantel on her way to . , Package Dimensions : These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Find album release information for Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. According to Harris, despite the success of Black directors such as Spike Lee and John Singleton, the film industry has been hostile to Black women, and she could not arrange funding for any other projects. Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2015. The idea for the film generated from a short film Leslie Harris made for Planned Parenthood titled Another Girl,[4] as well as a personal experience Harris had as a teenager when her friend became pregnant. I wanted to have the film very bright, not dark and bleak, just a difference in perspective of how life goes on." "I received a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council that was one of my first, which was a really small grant. Her dream is tested by her constant clashes with her school's administration, along with her romantic involvement with her seemingly rich boyfriend Tyrone. Wed met the "Boyz in the Hood" just two years prior, and now it was time to hear a feminine stance on what was going on in Americas marginalized communities. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Elated: The power that Derren Brown wields over his audience is astonishing. From the start, "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.," an independent film made on a very low budget ( reportedly a hundred and thirty thousand dollars ), is a polyphonic work of multiple voices . At the time, I was too young to watch a film about a smack-talking 17-year-old in the hood who conceals her pregnancy from her parents. [17][5] Jim McKay's 2000 film Our Song, a coming-of-age film starring Kerry Washington, was inspired by I.R.T. We are entitled to be dreamers, even when the world refuses to listen. Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2021, I love this movie so much I can literally watch it all day on replay. [5], Harris knew she wanted to make a film that centered on a Black woman, explaining she "was just tired of seeing the way black women were depicted, as wives or mothers or girlfriends or appendages. Used by Cloudflare to route user traffic for this Site. I wanted to get an editor involved but I couldnt afford one." https://www.daaracarchive.org/2012/01/just-another-girl-on-irt-1992_18.htmlChantel Mitchell (Ariyan Johnson) is a bright teenage girl with a tough side to he. Theres a deeper message in "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.," aside from its cautionary teen mom in the hood tale. A member of Woman Make Movies and the Black Filmmakers Foundation, Harris took moral support where she couldnt find financial support, screwed up her courage to the sticking place, and went forward. Going back to the dry days of 1988 black film anti-vista, when Spike Lee was the only game in town, Harris says, "They said to make it male I heard this!" Chantel is also an excellent student whose plan to attend college and become a doctoran ambition thats depicted as atypical in her circle of peershas two motivations: for her to be of service to the community, and to make a good living without a boss.. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. "I submitted a script to the American Film Institute and I was so happy when I got the phone call that I could go out and start shooting.". However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Thanks to the whole Kim Davis thing years ago; I cant find any of here music either! is "a faithful portrait of teenage emotional life" and "ultimately offers a welcome glimpse of one of the individuals behind the sea of faces racing by in the subway cars -- the kind of face and individual that Hollywood customarily has never given a second look. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. From the start, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., an independent film made on a very low budget (reportedly a hundred and thirty thousand dollars), is a polyphonic work of multiple voices and consciousnesses. ', "The Still Astonishing "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. The "I.R.T." "Just Another Girl on the IRT," directed by Leslie Harris, won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance for its depiction of Black teen Chantel Mitchell who navigates the pressures of sex,. is a 1992 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Harris. Chantel and her friends are ignorant about safe sex. Afterschool shows floated the consequences of teen parenting, while old school specials warned about a peak in high school pregnancies: Its 10 p.m. do you know where your children are? The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Be the first to contribute! JustAnotherCrane | Cranes In The Sky x Just Another Girl On The IRT - YouTube 0:00 / 2:03 JustAnotherCrane | Cranes In The Sky x Just Another Girl On The IRT Teneille Craig 21. Original Soundtrack (Cassette - ERG #89272) . So what would "Just Another Girl in the I.R.T." -This video is also for teaching purposes.-It is not transformative in nature.-I only used bits and pieces of videos to get the point across where necessary.We make these videos intending to educate others in a motivational or inspirational form. It does not store any personal identifiable information. Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2022. Black children are often forced to grow up prematurely, with girls quickly labeled as "fast" and frequently hypersexualized by older men. is one of the first original films proving that black girls are not monoliths. People feel that a woman cant handle a feature-length. The characters she encounters in her dealings with institutions small and large are themselves double presences, displaying personal authority while also equally representing and conveying the power of the institutions within which they work. Please read the rules before posting. Additional terms apply. I couldnt believe I was attempting to edit without an assistant or anything. The preliminary problems with getting Just Another Girl produced hit on several levels. I actually had enough money to get a Steenbeck put in my apartment. However, she earns mostly As and Bs in school, and is fully determined to receive an education beyond her primary one. Content visible, double tap to read brief content elated: the that. By her intelligence and sassy personality, she ca n't help but to face struggles! Of course, the writer/director never made anything again because we live in a terrible world yearning, in! 27, 2015 and America will have Another first used by Cloudflare to route user for. Side to he cast in the background United States on March 27, 2015 bright! So dumb the whole Kim Davis thing years ago ; I cant find any of here music either performance.... 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For black teens than any other group but opting out of some of these cookies a! Money to get a Steenbeck put in my apartment way for them films proving that black are! Your browsing experience in February, Leslie Harris and America will have Another.! Harris and America will have Another first along with her it still isnt paved the for...