Girls State
Girls State is streaming on Apple TV+ at the time of writing. Rated TV-14. Common Sense says 10.
STORY: A-
One of the film’s delights is watching how such a simple idea reveals so many complex aspects of humanity.
500 teenage girls take part in a week long mock-government program in Missouri. Each one of them learns about democracy, justice, and - most of all - a deeper understanding of who she is.
THE SCOOP: Check out Girls State’s IMDb page, here.
PEOPLE: A
You will root for every single one of these young women.
Politics is the hottest hot button in this country. Girls State easily could have been divisive. Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss make sure it’s not.
They do more than give both sides of the aisle equal time. They also make sure we spend enough time with these girls to see past their political stance. We’re allowed to know them as fully complete people.
CAST PARTY: Check out an interview from ABC4 Utah with the young women of Girls State, here. (4 1/2 mins)
FILM NERD STUFF: A-
The film’s secret weapon lies in its editing.
Most movies would have introduced us to all seven young women in the first five minutes. The editor, Amy Foote, smartly decides not to rush it.
We meet these young women one at a time, spending enough time with each so that we get to know each one really well. And when we meet the second one, we recognize her because we’ve already gotten a few glimpses of her while meeting the first.
Foote repeats this technique with each young, aspiring politician. It’s not flashy editing that draws attention to itself. It’s the masterful kind of editing that makes a film work.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Check out Fresh Fiction’s interview with directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, here. (17 mins)
DON’T YOU DARE CALL THEM “POLI-’CHICKS’” (Elective Class): A
The film illuminates the power of spending time with people.
One of my favorite memories as a kid was being allowed to use the classroom label maker after getting my work done early. Every kid in the class would sprint through their subtraction problems, praying they’d get their hands on the fabled prize.
If I got it, everything within arm’s reach was quickly labeled. Desks. Chairs. Pencil boxes. Foreheads.
Modern society sure still does love slapping labels on everything. Those clunky, Gen X label makers are gone. Today it’s a bitter stew of advertising, social media, likes, sponsored posts, and comments that swirl together to ensure that everyone is labeled, reduced to a specific point on an algorithm.
The thing I love so much about Girls State is watching these women spend time talking to people from different backgrounds than their own. The preconceived labels they’ve held peel away, like those sticky, old school red labels do after spending too long in the sun.
They (and we) learn that real conversations and real connections are essential not only to governing. They’re essential to being human.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Even though they’re the ones who went into this event looking to learn about politics, I’m certain many of our current leaders could learn a lot from them. In a time when politics seems destined for ruin, these young people provide some real hope.