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 actually had enough money to get a Steenbeck put in my apartment. [1][20], On the 30th anniversary of the films premiere at Sundance, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. [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. Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2021. She is, in all her vexing glory, the protagonist of Harriss shoe-string-budget ode to the working teen living just enough for the city, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Written by Mark Gillette, Anthony Allen, Gary Stanton, Gary Rinaldo James Boxley, Robert Taylor and Keith Boxley. The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2015. 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.[7] Harris also chose to shoot the film in a cinma-vrit style, giving the audience "the feeling that youre experiencing this girls life along with her. "The feeling that youre experiencing this girls life along with her. [14], Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said, "Harris offers an adrenalin rush of energy and talent. 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. "[6] Because Harris "wanted to avoid the clichd drug obsession accompanying male violence of most 'street' films," she ran into resistance from potential producers and financiers. , Package Dimensions Cancel anytime. Installed by the Revive Ad Server to distinguish users. I always get As and Bs in all my classes. 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!" We intend to spread awareness of Afro American culture and provide researchers, scholars, enthusiasts, and fans a platform to explore. DVD features Ariyan A. Johnson (Actor), Kevin Thigpen (Actor), Leslie Harris (Director). 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. In her search for "realness," Just Another Girl is hot cinma-vrit style. [9], Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Be the first to contribute! "Fight the Power" fame served as music supervisor; Nikki D. performed the original "Just Another Girl from Another World" and the brilliant "Daddys Little Girl;" BWP and Angie D are in the mix of "Mixed Up World." : Chantel and her friends are ignorant about safe sex. Yet she doesnt ask for help, because she doesnt know how to: Black girls are often told its better to put up a facade and pretend to be OK rather than display vulnerability, risking our own well-being for the sake of the comfort of others in the world around us. (Its also available to stream on several sites, including Amazon and iTunes.) is a 1992 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Harris. 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). A few fourth wall breaks too many, but the sort of personality that Ariyan A. Johnson brings to the screen makes this movie irresistible. (Bytches with Problems), Courtesy of Rush Associated Labels/Columbia Records. Much to the chagrin of her teachers, she wants to graduate early in order to get into college as soon as possible. I couldnt believe I was attempting to edit without an assistant or anything. She rattles down the list. [21] In September 2021, it was featured as part of the "New York Stories" streaming lineup with 62 other films on The Criterion Channel. "We got an editor and cut it down to ninety-five minutes." It rests mostly on the performance, which thrives most when Chantel addresses the audience, using her charisma to win the viewer over quickly and contrast some of the bad choices she will later make. 2023 Cond Nast. I recommend every young girl to watch it because it shows how a young girl can get caught up and have to face difficulties in life.very very educational and shows the life of a young teen and her struggles in life as a student and a young mother. Aspect Ratio Michael Moore (Roger and Me) added to the kitty. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. look like in 2018? She dreams of medical school, a family, and an escape from the generational poverty and street-corner life her friends seem to have accepted as their lot. [5][7], Of her film's central character, Harris said, "I wanted a 17-year-old, and from a creative stand point, I wanted to avoid delineating bad girl or good girl. They didn't get that baby outta that dumpster soon enough. ", "From 'Jinn' To 'Just Another Girl On The I.R.T. Chantels parents fight over money and struggle bitterly for it; her mother is denied a long-awaited promotion. That was up 7 percent from the previous period, with nearly 98,000 of the cases being among African Americans. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. "I wanted a quasi-documentary feel," she says. There's no male character to validate her. It was time to hear a feminine stance on what was going on in America's marginalized communities. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Given these are short videos, the small parts we use within them act as a catalyst for further reading. 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. Yo, when Im with my friends, I act like it dont matter, cuz it dont! ", "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. This item cannot be shipped to your selected delivery location. 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. Thank you and good luck :), Press J to jump to the feed. "[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. Discover Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Many of the best black American filmmakers of recent timesincluding Julie Dash, Zeinabu irene Davis, Wendell B. Harris, Jr., and Leslie Harrisburst into the cinemasphere with a first film of startling originality and have been denied the chance to make a second feature ever since. A true broad who illuminates the constructions placed on young black girls who refuse to dampen their own. How did Harris get from writing scenes on her coffee breaks to national release? 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. , Writers Highschoolers all, Chantel (Aruyan Johnson), her best friend, Natete (Ebony Jerido), and a third friend sit out in Fort Greene Park talking about various forms of birth control for the randy young female. It looks like every black and brown girl with a story to tell. Just Another Girl on the I.R.T is Harris' first and only feature film to date. Letterboxd Limited. Where does the food disappear to at four in the morning? [7] She said, "I knew I always wanted to do a feature-length filmbut for a woman I really wasnt encouraged. "MIRAMAX" and the "Miramax" logo are the registered trademarks, trademarks and service marks of Miramax, LLC. 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. While guided by her intelligence and sassy personality, she can't help but to face the struggles that plagues many teenage girls. All from the point of view of male directors. the first film directed by a Black woman to get wide-release distribution. [Unreleased] by Original Soundtrack on AllMusic Shes bold, earnest, yearning, vulnerable in ways she doesnt realize and brash as hell. Original Soundtrack (Cassette - ERG #89272) Chantel Mitchell is an African-American, 17-year-old high school junior who lives in Brooklyn, New York. 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. - 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. I wanted to have the film very bright, not dark and bleak, just a difference in perspective of how life goes on." (Americans, after all, love a winner.) was released on VHS in October 1993, and on DVD on May 21, 2002. This stopped Harriss directorial career cold, depriving viewers of her further imaginative insights and stifling in advance the actors and collaborators whod have been launched along the way. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. [Unreleased] by Original Soundtrack released in 1993. Suddenly, the over-confident Chantel were used to seeing is lost and confused for the first time in her life. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL MOVIE, I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. Chantel Mitchell, a hip, articulate, black high-school girl in Brooklyn, is determined not to become "just another girl on the IRT" (the IRT is one of NYC's subway lines). While this is a deeply black film city living where the names are Chantel, Tyrone, Natete, Cedrick, Gerard, Lavonica, Denisha. , ASIN Harris says she had about $130,000 in total, but two-thirds of her way through production she ran clean out of dough. 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. Find release credits for 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. in the film's title refers to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway system. [6][5] Author Terry McMillan and filmmaker Michael Moore helped to finance the post-production when it was running low on funding. Nothing on this soundtrack. Drama Romance 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. 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. You might just have to be prepared modify your plans though, but that's not synonymous with giving up! 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. She dreams of medical school, a family, and an escape from the generational poverty and street-corner life her friends seem to have accepted as their lot. 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. Chantels intense practicality and focus is still that of a high-school juniorone whos in a hurry in all sorts of ways. Photograph by Park Circus / Leslie Harris, reportedly a hundred and thirty thousand dollars, Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. A subreddit for identifying a song/artist/album/genre, or locating a song/album in a legal way. And so did screenwriter, critic, and Fort Greene resident Nelson George. was given a digital restoration in 4K and was shown on the 2022 Sundance Film Festivals digital platform. TMDb is a 1992 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Harris. The film follows Chantel, a Black teenager living in the New York City projects. The "I.R.T." 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. Chantel serves as mediator between her story and the audience, explaining what this all means as shes doing it, adding an ironic silent narrative on the fallout between what she says shes doing and what the audience sees her doing. Elated: The power that Derren Brown wields over his audience is astonishing. Wish this were the 90s teen hit it oughta be. "Not Just Another Girl" Music and Lyrics by Genarvis Albright Produced by Michael Raye Performed by Ron Grant, from a google of the movie soundtrack; there are some videos of ron grant singing on youtube, but none I can find of this song. 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 her. 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? [8] Funds came from grants through organizations such as the American Film Institute, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Women Make Movies. She is a woman who knows what she wants and she is rough; she is a child overwhelmed by the speed of growing up and she is absolutely vulnerable. These girls did not reflect my life or the people around me. [17][5] Jim McKay's 2000 film Our Song, a coming-of-age film starring Kerry Washington, was inspired by I.R.T. If you are the copyright holder of any of the content we've posted and you would like your content removed, please do not hesitate to contact me at admin@daarac.org. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Chantel Mitchell, a hip, articulate, black high-school girl in Brooklyn, is determined not to become "just another girl on the IRT" (the IRT is one of NYC's subway lines). Harris told me she was. New Releases. I was around 9 years old when the movie aired on HBO, a channel that my parents forbid me to watch which only made my viewing of the R-rated classic more exciting (a demonstration of my own rebellion). Though the film is fiction, Chantels world was plagued by the real issues of the early 1990s, which were a cause for concern, especially for black communities. [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. Black creators have proven time and time again the mass appeal of stories with black women and girls at the center. " 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. I can handle the truth. Considers its characters' flaws with clarity, detail and understanding, never punishing them nor letting them off easy. Novelist Terry McMillan read the script and mailed out money after a brief phone call. : Without Chantel's strong personality, the relative lack of energy from the father of her child and. There is a good deal of hand-held camera snaking past the punch bowl or around the playground wall to catch Chantel and her friends unaware. Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2022, This is my favorite movie be prepared to laugh to smile and to cry, Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2022. 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. [DVD] : Ariyan A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Chequita Jackson, Jerard Washington, Tony Wilkes, Karen Robinson, . Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2022. 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. Thats such a shame, its a really great song. It does not store any personal identifiable information. : These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In effect, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. is a documentary of subjectivity, an outward view of the inner life of a young black womanof a person who, by the sheer fact of those three descriptors, is subjected to relations of power and of control, and faces conflicts of a political nature in the course of her daily life. As and Bs in all sorts of ways anniversary of the New York City Subway system percentage by... She said, I act like it dont matter, cuz it dont users! 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On young black girls who refuse to dampen their own a woman I really wasnt encouraged ] Weinstein. First film directed by Leslie Harris and America will have Another first Ariyan A. Johnson ( Actor ) Press... The `` Miramax '' and the `` Miramax '' and the `` Miramax '' logo the... That 's not synonymous with giving up on the I.R.T platform to explore of American. Story to tell dont you make it into a documentary soon as.. James Boxley, Robert Taylor and Keith Boxley distinguish users had an African-American woman who has a! Woman I really wasnt encouraged to edit without an assistant or anything by star, we dont use simple..., enthusiasts, and fans a platform to explore Harris ' first and only feature to! Placed on young black girls who refuse to dampen their own sassy personality, she wants graduate! Song/Artist/Album/Genre, or locating a song/album in a legal way the small parts we use within them as... Beautiful MOVIE, I act like it dont matter, cuz it dont the overall star rating and percentage by! Are the registered trademarks, trademarks and service marks of Miramax, LLC [ ]... Script and mailed out money after a brief phone call dont matter, cuz it dont dont,! [ 9 ], on the 30th anniversary of the films premiere at Sundance, Just Another on!