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But Girlhood's two protagonists, Shanae and Megan, lose their girlhood, spending teen years locked up or (in Megan's case) in foster homes. Their "girlhood" is about drug-addiction, crimes, getting locked up and trying to get out. They speak about degrees of assault as calmly as their suburban contemporaries might speak of varsity and junior varsity cheering squads.

The success of Girlhood comes from Garbus's ability to transform our image of these girls from "juvenile delinquents' to complex young women, products of their environment as well as their own choices. We see how the system fails these young women, but to her credit, Garbus does not dwell on larger "society" topics. Instead, she focuses on the individuals and the impact of institutions comes through loud and clear.

Shanae's family was smart and supportive, although her mother had to work long hours to support the family. Inevitably Shanae got into trouble on the streets. I'm reminded of a segment in Bowling for Columbine: The mother of a child who brought a gun to school, killing a young girl, worked seventy hours a week and still couldn't make ends meet.

Shanae is easier to like, with a natural charisma. She's articulate and poised. You can feel her strength as she sits silently during "meetings," patiently listening while she's discussed in the third person. T

he scene of Shanae getting ready for a prom is triumphant and also moving, as we realize what it cost her to achieve her goal. She graduated fourth in her high school class, in a year that saw her released from juvenile hall and losing a mother to heart disease -- a failure of our health care system. I hope she achieves her dream of law school.

Megan, as smart as Shanae, continues to be haunted by the heritage of a mother who keeps returning to prison for drug-related crimes. She's almost a stereotype: raised in foster homes, bipolar, lacking role models outside the juvenile home. Yet as the film shows, she's also a unique individual who's surviving and staying out of jail.

In a way, these girls were lucky. Their juvenile home must be a model of its kind. Staff were tough but concerned and the girls had teddy bears. Shanae had room to grow and Megan ... well, Megan could go her own way.

After reading the dust jacket of this video, I was afraid the film, especially the ending, would be depressing. It wasn't. If anything, Girlhood shows how Megan and Shanae transcend their environments. And an investment in humane institutions can pay huge dividends. Not quite uplifting but definitely hopeful.

GIRLS MADE OF MORE THAN SUGAR AND SPICE
Documentaries are truly becoming the most captivating cinematic spectacles. From Hoop Dreams to Bowling for Columbine and now Girlhood, documentaries are capturing the brutal honesty of our modern culture.

Girlhood is a emotionally devestating look into the lives of two young girls Shanae and Meghan who journey through the juvenile detention center in Baltimore and their outside struggles at home. It is a story of lost innocence, deferred dreams, anguish, and torment, family disconnection and instability but in fragmented moments there are also elements of hope. We truly grow to feel for these girls and take a glance into their turbulent, ever changing lives.

Shanae is quiet spirited and articulate and is serving time for stabbing a girl to death. Meghan is an outspoken live-wire but just as intelligent, talented, and articulate, is serving time for assault. Through the separate journeys of these young women we see the harsh realities of inner city life and how it attempts to breaks the spirits of its daughters.

You will remember these girls long after the credits have rolled. You will be captivated by their story, their struggles, their strength, and their constant ability to continue to endure.

Its saddening to know that so many of our young girls face such profound sufferance but its amazing to also witness how strong they remain and how determined they are to survive to tell their stories--by any means necessary.