Girls in America

There are few movies that are so honest about what's going on in the modern American poor cities. The topic of three intertwined stories from three women could be heavy-handed and awkward in the wrong hands. It isn't here. Some people might think what happens in this movie isn't real but it's quite real and happening right now in most cities to many people. The fact that there are no recognizable faces in this movie just adds to the realism. But that isn't to say that the acting was bad. It wasn't. A lot of movies are just afraid to tackle the topic of drug abuse accurately and I think this one did a fine job of showing what goes on. This isn't an uplifting movie but life isn't always uplifting. It's also very easy to blame the victim in these situations and I think this movie is sympathetic to its characters but not overly sympathetic. Well done movie. One of the best films of 2004!

I saw this film on its last night at the Film Forum in NYC. It was a special night as one of the producers, one of the actors, and a good crowd showed up. The producer spoke before the show and asked us to spread the word if we liked the film, and to keep it to ourselves if we didn't...I'm spreading the word.

Shot in grittier parts of Jersey City, which lies just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, with a cast of mostly unknown actors, this film does a fantastic job of peeling back the lid on urban ghetto life. It's not a documentary but has a cinéma-vérité quality that is truly remarkable for a fictional film. Being young and working in film is cool, but making a first film that is as incredibly powerful as this one is an extraordinary achievement for the cast, crew and writer/director, Lori Silverbush.

I enjoyed seeing a film set in the much maligned Jersey City. I lived there for several years and the locations used were well chosen (kudos to the location scouts). The montage of JC images (places and people) in the beginning of the film did an excellent job of establishing the setting for the viewer, and was well-queued with the throaty, resonating rendition of "Motherless Child" (kudos to the editors for that one). I was happy to see the beautiful Judy Marte, from Raising Victor Vargas, playing a super-tough drug dealing lesbian(?). If not always strong, the entire cast had an honesty to their performances that made it seem as if they were really playing themselves caught on film. The seduction scene with Tyrell (Don Parma), for instance, gives mothers in the audience a picture of the kind hustler boyfriend you don't want your daughter to have.

I was deeply moved, and I hope this film gets a lot of mileage. If I were still a public school teacher in the hard knock Bronx, I wouldn't hesitate to send those permission slips home (because of profanity and drug use) in order to show this to my students. I highly recommend anyone who works in urban education to see this film...and share it with their students.

I had the good fortune to see this film over the summer while I was a youth leader at my local community center. I went in the theater thinking it was just going to be one of those low-budget after school special type films trying to be hip and educational at the same time. But then as the film progressed I started to get hooked. The stories of these three girls in a down-ridden neighborhood bereft in American's society was so dynamic! Even though the look of the film was something to get used to at first 'cuz I usually enjoy movies shot on film and not on video. None of that really mattered 'cause in the end the acting and the drama portrayed made up for all of this film's flaws.

On The Outs is a gripping movie that every teen should see this season. The film is about three young girls living in Jersey City whose lives intersect at a juvenile detention center.

Oz is a 17 year old drug dealer. She is very butch and really carries herself as one of the guys. She fights like the guys, dresses like the guys, talks like the guys and sells drugs on the street corner with the guys. The only person she seems to have a real emotional connection with is her mentally disabled brother. In a case of irony, Oz despises drug use and people who use drugs--despite the fact that she is a drug dealer. On top of all of that, Oz has a mother who is addicted to drugs.

Suzette is 15 years old and meets a neighborhood boy named Tyrell. He shows just a little bit of interest in Suzette and she gets hot and heavy with him real fast. The two become sexually active and Suzette becomes pregnant, much to the dismay of her hardworking single mother. After becoming pregnant Suzette runs away from home to be with Tyrell, a street drug dealer who doesn't seem to have a place to live himself. On the streets Suzette finds trouble far beyond her unplanned pregnancy.

Marisol is a young mother and a crack cocaine addict. She spends much of her time on the streets. When she is arrested following an accident she is forced to face her demons face on. While in juvenile detention her daughter is put into foster care. Marisol thinks a quick fix will help her regain custody of her daughter. She is faced with the prospect of having to stay clean and become responsible to get her daughter back.

On The Outs is the best film created for young teen girls in years. Young women today are faced with so many obstacles and choices lead to consequences. This is an excellent film and the voices of the young girls seem authentic.

Five minutes into this movie, I thought that I was going to hate it. The initial setup of three tragic stories seemed a little trite, but the incredibly believable, candid acting of the three female leads blew right through my preconceptions. The stories are probably all too common, but the film-makers managed to make each girl's story very personal. The film's style is gritty and the camera work emphasizes that well. I really liked some of the candid shots of people hanging out on the streets. It really gives you the sense of what it would be like to live in those circumstances. Kind of sad and frightening, really. One gets the impression that the film-maker's were working from personal experience. I would highly recommend this movie, especially to people looking for something non-Hollywood main stream. No stars, but really, really good acting.