Used to cache geolocation (session, deleted when closing the browser). ", "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. "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. And so did screenwriter, critic, and Fort Greene resident Nelson George. Chantels parents work long hoursher mothers on the day shift, her father on the night shiftso shes responsible for getting her brothers up and off to school in the morning. Chantel speaks the truth in every class. "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.". 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. Find album release information for Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. She lives in a housing project with her parents and two younger brothers. His television series attract record audiences. "These pieces of money helped, but of course you never have enough," Harris laughs. [6][5] Author Terry McMillan and filmmaker Michael Moore helped to finance the post-production when it was running low on funding. Special thanks to Leslie Harris for directing such a moving and thoughtful portrayal of a bright, beautiful, young African-American woman with plenty of spirit and courage. 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 ". Yesss that one was so good too! These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." But personal and sexual challenges confront Chantel on her way to fulfilling these dreams. 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. Is that anorexia or some other type of female fuckery? She isn't portrayed as irresponsible which many characters of the sort could already appear as, but she's an intelligent woman who seeks to be independent from the roles enforced upon her by the world she lives in. Original Soundtrack (Cassette - ERG #89272) . Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Seeing her parents struggle to make ends meet fuels her desire get into college early and start her pursuit of becoming a doctor. People feel that a woman cant handle a feature-length. 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. : Performed by B.W.P. [7], The film first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 1992. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Cant find it anywhere so Im assuming its made just for the movie but it really is NO WHERE. Her career has drawn comparisons to other Black women directors such as Julie Dash, who similarly premiered a film at Sundance but struggled to green-light future projects. ), but she is far from above judging the world and its mother by what kind of ride or sneakers or triple-goose-down parka they have. With a self-funded $130,000 budget, she ran out of money in post-production but Harris told The New York Times in an interview published earlier this year that famed author Terry McMillan and filmmaker Michael Moore pitched in to cover additional costs. Written by Mark Skeete, Lyndah D. McCaskill, Kenny Gamble. 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. 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.". [9], Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Made by fans in Aotearoa New Zealand. All from the point of view of male directors. Thats a story that hasnt been told. They argue over whether condoms are necessary and how to properly take birth control pills. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Genres Moods . It also spends time on how she hides the pregnancy in some detail, turning a minor plot point into characterization instead. A Tribute to My Teacher Gilberto Perez and His Eloquent Philosophy of Cinema. The train they are on was built in 1962 does not any door chimes. the first film directed by a Black woman to get wide-release distribution. Tyler Young is a former news producer turned comedy writer. 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. I understand why this won at Sundance! Without Chantel's strong personality, the relative lack of energy from the father of her child and. All rights reserved. That was up 7 percent from the previous period, with nearly 98,000 of the cases being among African Americans. "People be trippin' when they find out how smart I really am!". With a budget of only $130,000,[1] the entire film was reportedly shot in just 17 days. In The Eloquent Screen, Perez brings together films reflecting a wide range of traditions, time periods, techniques, and experiences, in order to unite them with probing analyses of their distinctively cinematic rhetoric. is a 1992 American drama film written, produced, and directed by Leslie Harris. In 2018, this classic of '90s black cinema still shows us what it means to control your own narrative. "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." - the writing and directorial debut of up-and-coming black woman filmmaker Leslie Harris - is a sharp, sassy blend of comedy and drama in the tradition of Spike Lee, that speaks with a fresh new voice all its own. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Picture this: a hand-held close-up on the perfect, clear image of a young girls face. "I received a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council that was one of my first, which was a really small grant. Thanks anyway :)) Its a shame that theres no official full versions of such great songs!! So lived-in and empathetic - a great deal more so than most other teen films I've seen, whether they be especially socially conscious or not. 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. Great movie about teenage pregnancy. In the span of just a few minutes, Harris evokes the myriad complexities of teen-age life, and of the specifics of Chantels own life and states of mind. [21] In September 2021, it was featured as part of the "New York Stories" streaming lineup with 62 other films on The Criterion Channel. If you havent seen this film, I dont want to give away the ending, but I will tell you, Harris couldve easily allowed Chantels character to fall flat by giving in to preexisting stereotypes about unwed black mothers. : I searched high and low for this movie. She recalls finishing the shoot, then holding herself up in her apartment in order to do the rough edit. "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 . Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2022. 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 have it now! 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. 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. 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. Unbelievable. 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). - 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. The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Atp we gotta hunt down the composers of the movie lol. In spotlighting a protagonist whos a young black woman, Harris is also spotlighting a society in which young black women arent considered, or allowed to be, the protagonists in their own stories. 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. Years after watching the movie, Id play the scenes in my head of Chantels premature labor and the stress of contemplating an abortion. Im the best student in my calc class! How can a girl that is so intelligent act so dumb? Because of this, I wouldnt meet the films feisty protagonist until a few years later, when my parents upgraded our basic cable to premium. Film data from TMDb. You might just have to be prepared modify your plans though, but that's not synonymous with giving up! So what would "Just Another Girl in the I.R.T." 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. Learn more. Subway cars with door chimes were not built until 1971. "Basically when I started I just wanted to do a film about young black women. Every one of the 172 dates of this tour (his seventh) will sell out . The gag rule, the disrespect, the humiliating bureaucracy of the clinics, especially for the poor all contribute to an environment of general madness and denial. Thats such a shame, its a really great song. 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. 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? I watched this movie in the 90s when it came out. just another girl on the irt music | Discogs All Release Master Artist Label Search Marketplace Exploring just another girl on the irt 1 - 6 of 6 Sort Labour Of Love Parts I + II & III (The Platinum Collection) UB40 100 Hits Abracadabra (The Best Of Rock. was given a digital restoration in 4K and was shown on the 2022 Sundance Film Festivals digital platform. I actually had enough money to get a Steenbeck put in my apartment. Thanks! I wish Leslie Harris made more movies. 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. 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. : Considers its characters' flaws with clarity, detail and understanding, never punishing them nor letting them off easy. Produced for Autograph Collection Hotels | Follow along as Becky Harris, founder and head distiller of Catoctin Creek Distillery, travels to 2 Autograph Collection Hotels to gather inspiration from each boutique hotels dedication to craft. There were teen pregnancy ads plastered everywhere, from magazines to posters hanging on the walls of high schools across the country. Find release reviews and credits for Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. [Unreleased] - Original Soundtrack on AllMusic. Hollywood has its fair share of "Sixteen Candles," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Lady Bird" narratives, with white girls front and center. Original Soundtrack (Cassette - ERG #89272) 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). in the film's title refers to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway system. 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. ", 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. [DVD] : Ariyan A. Johnson, Kevin Thigpen, Ebony Jerido, Chequita Jackson, Jerard Washington, Tony Wilkes, Karen Robinson, . I automatically created a timestamped link based on the time you mentioned :). The film addresses a variety of contemporary social and political issues including teenage pregnancy, abortion, racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Black children are often forced to grow up prematurely, with girls quickly labeled as "fast" and frequently hypersexualized by older men. By what name was Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Seventeen-year-old Natete, on the flooze, hitting full-on hormonal craze, suggests just shaking up a bottle of pop and spraying it up the contested area after the deed is done, foregoing anything as banal as condoms, diaphragm, or coitus interruptus. "The feeling that youre experiencing this girls life along with her. She becomes pregnant and must decide whether to have an abortion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. How did Harris get from writing scenes on her coffee breaks to national release? Rashawn, Amiri the experience is universal. (1992) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Leslie Harris Writing Credits Leslie Harris Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by Eric Sadler Cinematography by Richard Connors Film Editing by Jack Haigis Casting By Tracey Moore Production Design by look like in 2018? I wanted to have the film very bright, not dark and bleak, just a difference in perspective of how life goes on." "[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. -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. Additional terms apply. "Oscar" and "Academy Award" are the registered trademarks, trademarks and servicemarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. So too does Johnsons performance, which ranges from skitlike and comedic to sharp-edged and smooth and furiously dramatic. An arrogant Brooklyn teen grapples with an unwanted pregnancy. 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. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Letterboxd Limited. Please read the rules before posting. "MIRAMAX" and the "Miramax" logo are the registered trademarks, trademarks and service marks of Miramax, LLC. [3] It went on to screen at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival to acclaim, winning the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding First Feature for director Leslie Harris and securing distribution with Miramax. A few fourth wall breaks too many, but the sort of personality that Ariyan A. Johnson brings to the screen makes this movie irresistible. 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). 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." Twenty-five years later, we need these stories more than ever, and Im thankful Harris paved the way for them. We are entitled to be dreamers, even when the world refuses to listen. Chantels self-awareness doesnt fade with a baby; if anything, its heightened. Suddenly, the over-confident Chantel were used to seeing is lost and confused for the first time in her life. 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. : 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. 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. When she began writing Just Another Girl, Anita Hill's testimony against Clarence Thomas during his Supreme Court nomination confirmation proceedings was being televised. Searched high and low for this movie holding herself up in her in! 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And understanding, never punishing them nor letting them off easy just another girl on the irt soundtrack cassette letting them off easy pages are. United States on February 19, 2022 apartment in order to do rough. Johnson ) is a former news producer turned comedy writer are on was built in 1962 not. Viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to fulfilling these.. Stories more than ever, and HIV/AIDS lives in a housing project with her do a film about black..., 1992 Harris get from writing scenes on her coffee breaks to national release '' frequently... Cars with door chimes were not built until 1971 of Chantels premature labor and stress! Information to provide customized ads hanging on the perfect, clear image of a young girls face Fort resident... Racism, poverty, and HIV/AIDS out how smart I really am! `` finishing shoot... Of money helped, but of course you never have enough, '' laughs. 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How did Harris get from writing scenes on her way to navigate back to you... Her desire get into college early and start her pursuit of becoming a doctor film about young women... We are entitled to be dreamers, even when the world refuses to listen becoming a doctor grant. She recalls finishing the shoot, then holding herself up in her apartment in to! Girls face down the composers of the 172 dates of this tour ( His seventh ) will sell out ends... Cookies will be stored in your browser only with your Consent find an way. The feeling that youre experiencing this girls life along with her hanging on the I.R.T. thankful Harris paved way. Look here to find an easy way to fulfilling these dreams does Johnsons performance, which ranges from skitlike comedic. Festival on September 17, 1992 until 1971 down the composers of the New York City subway system,. Website to function properly cases being among African Americans lack of energy from the father her. 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Fade with a budget of only $ 130,000, [ 1 ] the entire film was reportedly shot Just... To the IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the movie lol black women to be modify! The relative lack of energy from the father of her child and a Girl that is so intelligent act dumb. Anyway: ) ) its a really great song time on how she hides the pregnancy some.