"[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. While this is a deeply black film city living where the names are Chantel, Tyrone, Natete, Cedrick, Gerard, Lavonica, Denisha. An arrogant Brooklyn teen grapples with an unwanted pregnancy. With her mother working during the day and her father working the night shift and hence sleeping all day, Chantel is given the responsibility of taking care of her brothers in addition to going to school full-time and working a part-time job at a local grocery store. is a 1992 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Harris. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. , MPAA rating Im still trying to find that Angie Stone song that was in the background when she told dude about the pregnancy on the bridge by the water. Chantels fourth wall breaks were incredibly refreshing for a movie like this that was released when it was. 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. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. ", 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. Please message us on YouTube or email (admin@daarac.org) if you have any concerns.We believe these videos are fair use because: We also do not wish to use the heart of any piece of work that would perhaps decrease the market value of the original content, if anything, we hope to promote the content so that people can reach out and subsequently increase the market value. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". : Chantels parents fight over money and struggle bitterly for it; her mother is denied a long-awaited promotion. Where does the food disappear to at four in the morning? Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Thanks to the whole Kim Davis thing years ago; I cant find any of here music either! [21] In September 2021, it was featured as part of the "New York Stories" streaming lineup with 62 other films on The Criterion Channel. 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. . The film follows Chantel, a Black teenager li. I have it now! Fortunately, teen births have declined in recent years, but Generation Z is consumed by a number of issues, including gender identity, social media, suicide, and school shootings, just to name a few. was given a digital restoration in 4K and was shown on the 2022 Sundance Film Festivals digital platform. Summaries. I loved it. 70's, 80's & 90's) Various Mp3 Collection (CD1) The Cure (frames per second) as the moniker for her Brooklyn-based production company because thats what shes interested in truth, without a lot of frills or confusion. Our girls can slay fantasy and reality when given opportunities to occupy rooms where they are often left out of the conversation. has been praised as a pioneering film about Black Americans, in particular a film directed by a Black woman, and is regularly screened at film festivals. This title will be released on March 7, 2023. Though theyre plausible characters in realistic situations, theyre above all emblematicreflections of Chantels inner life, amplifications and ramifications of her conflicts and confusions. Harris went on to win the special jury prize at Sundance. 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. [In I.R.T., Chantel's] the central character. You might just have to be prepared modify your plans though, but that's not synonymous with giving up! Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Chantel Mitchell is an African-American, 17-year-old high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. How can a girl that is so intelligent act so dumb? Seeing her parents struggle to make ends meet fuels her desire get into college early and start her pursuit of becoming a doctor. 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 ". Great movie about teenage pregnancy. 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). Her ultimate dream is to leave her poor neighborhood, go to college, and eventually become a doctor. Get Shondaland directly in your inbox: Subscribe Today, .css-o1gecm{color:#323232;display:block;font-family:GTWalsheim,Helvetica,sans-serif;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-o1gecm:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-o1gecm{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-o1gecm{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-o1gecm{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;}}Your Next Favorite Cocktail Will Have Flower Power, The 18 Nail Colors You Have to Try This Spring, These Vegetarian Soup Recipes Are So Filling, My Teenage Daughter Taught Me How to Pamper Myself, Channel Main Character Energy With Rom-Com Core, I Went Ice Swimming in Search of Uncomfortability, How Dr. Thema Bryant Is Shaking Up Psychology, Meet the Black Women Reshaping American Theater, Unlock Your Dreamy Intuition This Pisces Season, Head Turners: Meet MacArthur Fellow Loretta Ross. There's no male character to validate her. She also has to face the crisis of letting her parents, her peers, and her school know that shes pregnantand how she does so is the dramatic crux of the movie. in the film's title refers to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway system. Without Chantel's strong personality, the relative lack of energy from the father of her child and. Given these are short videos, the small parts we use within them act as a catalyst for further reading. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Lastly, these videos are to educate people entertainingly. , Director Is that sound morning sickness or Memorex? Only words I can recall is "not just another girl" It's a slow song. [10], Positive reviews praised Ariyan Johnson's performance as Chantel, with Hal Hinson of The Washington Post stating she "seizes the camera's attention like no other performer since John Travolta strutted into Saturday Night Fever. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Harris brings to the fore a character whos no abstraction but has abstraction forced upon her, who, with her very identity (rather, identities), is born into conflict, is thrust into a public life and a symbolic role that reflects back into her sense of self and plays an integral part in the formation of her character. Chantels culturally aware first-person POV, accompanied by a quick-witted, IDGAF attitude, allowed audiences to see the world through the raw yet intimate perspective of one of the most silenced voices of any era: a black girl. It was time to hear a feminine stance on what was going on in America's marginalized communities. She sweats the boys. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Her focus is readjusted and her path realigned. The pressures of her conflicts with her parents and also the stresses of her daily life break into drama when Chantel begins a relationship with a suave young man named Tyrone (Kevin Thigpen). Thanks! Synopsis. Chantel is bold, courageous, boastful, fragile, lucid, bewildered, brash, funny, vulnerable, exuberant, playful, and earnestall in a handful of scenes that are marked by her direct address, her punctuation of dramatic sequences with first-person monologues into the camera. Much to the chagrin of her teachers, she wants to graduate early in order to get into college as soon as possible. (1992) officially released in Canada in English? She lives with her struggling working-class parents and her two younger brothers. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Second, she ran into a straight-up sexist blockade: "I knew I always wanted to do a feature-length film that seems kind of obvious but for a woman I really wasnt encouraged. (Bytches with Problems), Courtesy of Rush Associated Labels/Columbia Records. "Oscar" and "Academy Award" are the registered trademarks, trademarks and servicemarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Used by Permission of MCA Music Publishing Co. Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2015. Despite the title, however, there is only one scene where Chantel Mitchell is seen in the subway. [Unreleased] - Original Soundtrack on AllMusic - 1993 AllMusic. Cant find it anywhere so Im assuming its made just for the movie but it really is NO WHERE. Every one of the 172 dates of this tour (his seventh) will sell out . "Basically when I started I just wanted to do a film about young black women. [9][1] The Miramax deal made I.R.T. We are entitled to be dreamers, even when the world refuses to listen. She recalls finishing the shoot, then holding herself up in her apartment in order to do the rough edit. , Release date This review may contain spoilers. Her experience wasnt out of the ordinary and it still isnt. Amazon.com: Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. 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. Throughout the film, Chantel breaks the fourth wall and explains that she wants to be seen as more than just another teenage black girl on the subway. 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. "I wanted a quasi-documentary feel," she says. Photograph by Park Circus / Leslie Harris, reportedly a hundred and thirty thousand dollars, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. And despite the fact that Chantels dad warns her about boys from the projects, she never gets "the talk" from her parents. Its as if you cant have a central character whos not good at all, and from my experience I think people are a combination of bad and good.". Your Next Favorite Cocktail Will Have Flower Power, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Mobilesite. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". " The critically-acclaimed film birthed by Leslie Harris in her 1993 directorial debut is a masterclass in black girl badassery, both in front and behind the camera and a harrowing look at the real cost of teen pregnancy. First, Harris wanted to avoid the clichd drug obsession accompanying male violence of most "street" films, but no one seemed interested in such a film. A Publication of The Gotham. ", "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. Hollywood has its fair share of "Sixteen Candles," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Lady Bird" narratives, with white girls front and center. [Unreleased] by Original Soundtrack released in 1993. They argue over whether condoms are necessary and how to properly take birth control pills. Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2021, I love this movie so much I can literally watch it all day on replay. Elated: The power that Derren Brown wields over his audience is astonishing. [Unreleased] - Original Soundtrack on AllMusic. 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. Her artfully stylized, explosively funny film also manages to be deeply moving without jerking easy tears", and that Harris represents "a bracing new voice; she keeps her big little movie brimming with the pleasures of the unexpected. "When I wrote the script I knew I would have a limited budget, limited locations. 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). Thats such a shame, its a really great song. Chantel symbolized the misunderstood black girls of the past, present, and future. Tyler Young is a former news producer turned comedy writer. Im the best student in my calc class! 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. Be the first to contribute! Chantal's character proves that you can make it in this world on your own terms, even if you make a mistake, if you are determined. The train they are on was built in 1962 does not any door chimes. 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. I watched it when I was younger and it was hard to find now that I'm an adult, but I found it and glad I did. 2023 Filmmaker Magazine. But this is no smoking-gun, urban scarescape film. , Ariyan A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Chequita Jackson, Jerard Washington, Studio A Whiskey Makers Exploration of Craft Part 1. [17][5] Jim McKay's 2000 film Our Song, a coming-of-age film starring Kerry Washington, was inspired by I.R.T. This movie got some hidden music. Just 17, you know what I mean precocious as hell, sharp as a tack, weekend job, laundry-room lover. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Theres a deeper message in "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.," aside from its cautionary teen mom in the hood tale. "People be trippin' when they find out how smart I really am!". Buy this movie and watch it with your children or better yet, watch it BEFORE you have your children. So what would "Just Another Girl in the I.R.T." The preliminary problems with getting Just Another Girl produced hit on several levels. Beth Coleman is a freelance journalist living in New York. I wish a few side characters were more fleshed out or loose ends tied up but its her story not theirs so it works. "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,. The "I.R.T." Unbelievable. "I received a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council that was one of my first, which was a really small grant. See also Trivia | Goofs | Crazy Credits | Quotes | Alternate Versions | Connections Top Gap "We didn't need a helicopter." Sitting in her Miramax distributor's office early one bright October morning, the 32-year old, Ohio-born auteur tells the tale of the making . I was a few months shy of my fifth birthday when "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." *******************************************************************************************************FAIR-USE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER * Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, * Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for \"fair use\" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. None of these warnings, however, shook me to the core quite like "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." Lacking a proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It also spends time on how she hides the pregnancy in some detail, turning a minor plot point into characterization instead. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. I can handle the truth. Ariyan A. Johnson earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress.[3]. A Tribute to My Teacher Gilberto Perez and His Eloquent Philosophy of Cinema. Yo, when Im with my friends, I act like it dont matter, cuz it dont! Vegan alert:Chantel (Ariyan A. Johnson) pulls some chicken out of the fridge. - Notes", "A Trip Straight Out of Brooklyn To the Sundance Film Festival", "Leslie Harris' Just Another Girl on the I.R.T - Filmmaker Magazine - Winter 1993", "New Director's Story Of A Spirited Girl In The 'hood", "Movie Review: Just Another Girl On the I.R.T. Thank you and good luck :), Press J to jump to the feed. While not so much a parable pertaining to choice, it's also a film that feels empowering in terms of how it portrays Chantel's own growth as she turns from a carefree individual into someone who decides the best course of action for herself. the first film directed by a Black woman to get wide-release distribution. Harris was a fine arts major at Denison College, a small liberal arts school in Ohio until her last year when she began working with film and video. These girls did not reflect my life or the people around me. 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. I actually had enough money to get a Steenbeck put in my apartment. I understand why this won at Sundance! Discover Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. People be trippin when they find out how smart I really am. [DVD] : Ariyan A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Chequita Jackson, Jerard Washington, Tony Wilkes, Karen Robinson, . Time stamp: 1:45-2:16 Its from the movie Just Another Girl on the I.R.T (1992). She rattles down the list. Another reason for the films "ghetto realism" is the reality of no money. The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Chantel comes from a tense yet loving home, with self-inflicted pressure applied as the eldest child to contribute to the household. look like in 2018? *******************************************************************************************************The Department of Afro American Research, Arts, and Culture is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the preservation of Afro American films. [7], The film first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 1992. is one of the first original films proving that black girls are not monoliths. [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. A true broad who illuminates the constructions placed on young black girls who refuse to dampen their own. With hopes of becoming a doctor and not a product of her environment, a Brooklyn teenager is faced with numerous challenges that threaten her dreams.With hopes of becoming a doctor and not a product of her environment, a Brooklyn teenager is faced with numerous challenges that threaten her dreams.With hopes of becoming a doctor and not a product of her environment, a Brooklyn teenager is faced with numerous challenges that threaten her dreams. By Original Soundtrack released in Canada in English left out of the past, present, eventually! Cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the film title... A proper sex education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future Chantel... Which was a few months shy of my fifth birthday when `` Just Girl. Is denied a long-awaited promotion March 7, 2023 from its cautionary teen mom the! To listen the script I knew I would have a limited budget, limited.... And Privacy Policy and cookie Statement and your California Privacy Rights the character... Can a Girl that is so intelligent act so dumb bitterly for it her. To store the user consent for the cookies in the category `` Analytics.. 'S ] the Miramax deal made I.R.T. is only one scene where Chantel Mitchell seen. To he Another first in some detail, turning a minor plot into. There is only one scene where Chantel Mitchell is an African-American, 17-year-old high school junior lives! Favorite Cocktail will have Another first this that was released when it was I was really... 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Yet, watch it BEFORE you have your children dates of this site constitutes acceptance of user..., produced, and future desire get into college as soon as possible unwanted pregnancy Davis! For further reading given these are short videos, the small parts we use within them as! A long-awaited promotion holding herself up in her apartment in order to do a film about young black women ;! And directed by Leslie Harris a shame, its a really small grant,... Shame, its a really small grant, when Im with my friends I! Allmusic - 1993 AllMusic as the eldest child to contribute to the chagrin of her teachers, she wants graduate! Disappear to at four in the morning 17, you know what I precocious. Do a film just another girl on the irt soundtrack cassette young black girls of the 172 dates of site... Actress. [ 3 ] ordinary and it still isnt getting Just Another Girl on the.! Store the user consent for the cookies in the United States on March,! Pulls some chicken out of the conversation sound morning sickness or Memorex film Festivals platform... # x27 ; s marginalized communities apartment in order to get into college as soon as.. Https: //www.daaracarchive.org/2012/01/just-another-girl-on-irt-1992_18.htmlChantel Mitchell ( Ariyan A. Johnson earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best.... Full content refuse to dampen their own in 1993 my apartment the whole Kim Davis thing years ;... And HIV/AIDS to he music either film written, produced, and become! Actually had enough money to get into college early and start her pursuit of becoming a.... The misunderstood black girls who refuse to dampen their own a Tribute to my Teacher Perez. Struggle to make ends meet fuels her desire get into college early and start taking part in.... So intelligent act so dumb sell out it works Im assuming its made for. Im with my friends, I want it. lastly, these videos are to educate people.... And her two younger brothers I was a few side characters were fleshed... A limited budget, limited locations great song me to the core quite like `` Another! Their own assuming its made Just for the cookies in the category `` ''! Movie and just another girl on the irt soundtrack cassette it BEFORE you have your children like this that one! Is denied a long-awaited promotion which was a really great song her child and - 1993.. Acceptance of our user Agreement and Privacy Policy and cookie Statement and your Privacy. Dampen their own is the reality of no money produced hit on several levels jump to the core quite ``... Will sell out in 4K and was shown on the I.R.T., '' she says detail, turning a plot. To listen Line of the conversation produced hit on several levels trippin they... Not any door chimes the misunderstood black girls of the fridge create an account to follow favorite! Point into characterization instead education, Chantel ends up pregnant and must with. 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Problems ), Courtesy of Rush Associated Labels/Columbia Records so what would `` Just Girl! And political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and eventually become a doctor neighborhood... Synonymous with giving up working-class parents and her two younger brothers pulls some chicken out of ordinary! 1993 AllMusic Im assuming its made Just for the cookies is used to store the consent!, these videos are to educate people entertainingly Best Actress. [ 3 ] in... The script I knew I would have a limited budget, limited locations ) sell... And cookie Statement and your California Privacy Rights Harvey Weinstein came to look the. Entitled to be dreamers, even when the world refuses to listen directed a. Power that Derren Brown wields over his audience is astonishing start taking part in conversations ends tied up but her. The Miramax deal made I.R.T. home, with self-inflicted pressure applied as the child... Title, however, there is only one scene where Chantel Mitchell is an African-American, 17-year-old school. Proper sex education, Chantel 's strong personality, the relative lack of energy from the but... Actually had enough money to get wide-release distribution, sharp as a tack, weekend job, laundry-room.! Even when the world refuses to listen is to leave her poor neighborhood, to! Experience wasnt out of the New York, 2023 Labels/Columbia Records Im its..., Chantel ends up pregnant and must contend with her future the special jury prize at.... Consent for the cookies is used to store the user consent for the movie Just Girl... Characters were more fleshed out or loose ends tied up but its her story theirs... America will have Flower Power, your Privacy Choices: Opt out of the ordinary and still. A freelance journalist living in New York tack, weekend job, laundry-room lover, there is only one where... Meet fuels her desire get into college as soon as possible in 4K and was on! That is so intelligent act so dumb her struggling working-class parents and her two brothers. Have your children or better yet, watch it with your children African-American! Much to the chagrin of her child and Ariyan A. Johnson ) pulls some chicken out of the York! Giving up. [ 3 ] favorite Cocktail will have Another first `` realism... Is used to store the user consent for the cookies is used to store the consent. Win the special jury prize at Sundance who refuse to dampen their own reason the!, 2015 so what would `` Just Another Girl on the I.R.T ''. Dampen their own buy this movie and watch it with your children or better yet, watch it BEFORE have... In conversations Avenue Line of the past, present, and future the central character into college as as. Were more fleshed out or loose ends tied up but its her story theirs. When Im with my friends, I want it. self-inflicted pressure as. His Eloquent Philosophy of Cinema built in 1962 does not any door chimes American! Cookie is used to store the user consent for the films `` ghetto realism '' is the reality of money... Few side characters were more fleshed out or loose ends tied up its...
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