Rating: R
Genre:
Drama
Release Date: 04/16/2002
SubTitles: English
Dubbed: English
Sound: DS
Run Time: 96 Minutes
Flags: Nudity, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content, Questionable for Children, Profanity
Distributor/Studio: Live/Artisan
A teen girl struggles to reconcile her desire for self-improvement with her rebellious nature and her lack of maturity in this
coming-of-age drama, which won first-time director
Leslie Harris a special jury prize at the
1993 Sundance Film Festival.
Chantel (
Ariyan Johnson), the self-possessed eldest child of hard-working parents in a Brooklyn housing project, hangs with her homegirls, helps out at home, studies hard, and holds down a part-time job. Stymied by teachers whose lessons she doesn't find relevant,
Chantel asks her guidance counselor to let her graduate early so she can get a jump on college and eventually medical school; he declines, telling her that her explosive temper proves she lacks the necessary maturity. Meanwhile, frustrated by her responsibilities at home,
Chantel begins making time with boys -- first with her broke but sweet neighbor,
Gerard (
Jerard Washington), then with the financially well-off, parentally unsupervised
Tyrone (
Kevin Thigpen), who refuses to wear a condom when
Chantel begins having sex with him. When she becomes pregnant,
Tyrone flips out and tries to pressure her into having an abortion;
Chantel refuses, goes deep into denial, hides her pregnancy, and alienates even her best friend,
Natete (
Ebony Jerido). Reportedly shot for 100,000 dollars in just 17 days,
Just Another Girl was billed as the first film ever written, directed, and produced by an African-American woman. The actors are mostly unknowns, although star
Johnson would go on to appear in Hollywood features such as
Bulworth and
The General's Daughter. The
hip-hop-heavy soundtrack made prominent and repeated use of rapper
Nikki D's
"Daddy's Little Girl," whose lyrics echo the film's story line and whose chorus samples
"Tom's Diner" by
Suzanne Vega.
~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
;)
