Girls State (now streaming on Apple TV+) arrives four years later Boys State well, that’s the big problem with the microcosm, isn’t it? In 2020, Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss released the latter documentary, for which they traveled to Texas to document Boys State, a week-long political “camp” of sorts where high school students form a mock government, including the election of a governor and the selection of a Supreme Court. (program occurs in all states except Hawaii, supported by the American Legion). The filmmakers now follow up with a look at Girls State in Missouri, which, for the first time, took place at the same time on the same campus as Boys State — and before they even begin to compare and contrast the corresponding programs, the subjects of Girls State do exactly that. The result is a fascinating and engaging examination of current American politics, in microcosm.
STATE OF GIRLS: Stream it or ignore it?
The essential: The first rule of Girls State: Don’t compare it to Boys State. This is an actual guideline spoken by Girls State advisors, and of course it doesn’t sit well with the most enlightened participants (of which there are many). The film introduces us to some of its key topics, and we’ll get to that in a minute, but a notable early moment puts us on the bus with boys and girls, and as the boys perform vintage rap hits, the camera captures a girl rolling her eyes in annoyance. A little later, we watch a massive gathering of girls perform an incredibly cheesy glee club song with choreographed jazz gesticulations, prompting one of the reluctant attendees to joke, “If the boys don’t have to do That. , I’m going to be pissed. Note: The movie doesn’t definitively answer the question, but the major implication here is that they are absolutely don’t do it I have to do that. Boys also aren’t subject to the dress code rules that girls have to follow, and girls aren’t allowed to mingle with boys or go anywhere without a buddy because, you know, it’s for their own protection.
As the narrative of inequality quickly rises from subtext to text, and it’s established that Girl State will occur in the summer of 2022, just days before the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade – putting abortion at the forefront of discussions – we meet our main topics. Emily can’t list all her extracurricular activities with both hands, knows she’s running for President of the United States in 2040, and is absolutely running for governor of the Girls State; she also repeatedly calls herself a conservative and knows that puts her in the minority, but she also opposes bipartisanship. Faith is one of Emily’s government competitors and reveals that she aligned herself with her “alt-right” family before taking a more progressive stance. Nisha is certainly introverted and recognizes her lack of social confidence, but she sees this as an opportunity to contribute less openly as a member of the Supreme Court. Maddie is a fellow Supreme Court nominee, and although they compete, she and Nisha quickly become close friends; “I’m not going to hate you because of your political beliefs,” Maddie says, not about Nisha, but about people in general.
There are others, including Tochi, a daughter of Nigerian immigrants who leverages her incredibly confident attitude to become Girls State’s attorney general, and explains how she might just end up being the first black person some of her classmates have been with of Girls State have ever interacted; and Cecilia, a vibrant extrovert who is running for government office on an outspoken feminist platform. The races heat up and candidates use Monopoly money to buy pencils, scissors and cardboard to make campaign materials. The Supreme Court is selected and faces its first case. The girls complain about how they wish Girls State focused more on legitimate politics like Boys State is – and we move on to the boys having lively debates about current issues. “I bet (the boys) don’t talk about crop tops,” quips one of the girls. Government candidates deliver their speeches. And Emily decides her journalism project will address the disparity between Girls State and Boys State. This first rule really needs to go, right?
What films will this remind you of? : Perhaps among Girls State’s participants is the next Katie Fahey, the young woman and grassroots political activist who successfully campaigned for gerrymandering reform in Michigan and was profiled in a paper uplifting. Slay the dragon.
Performances to watch: It’s something of a cop-out to avoid choosing one of the film’s worthy subjects in place of the filmmakers themselves, but frankly, without McBaine and Moss’s visual presentation and without the astute examination of the material – which includes the selection of girls to profile and follow – this could be a much less engaging film.
Memorable dialogues: Emily struggles with two sides of the same ideology: “Nowadays, everyone is told that we really need to empower each other as girls, which is true. But one trap we risk falling into is somehow perpetuating the idea that you’re at a disadvantage because you’re a woman.
Sex and skin: None.
Our opinion : Girls State illustrates the growing concern that the agenda, while noble, is more about rudimentary first-wave feminism than legitimate progress in the political arena. Amid countless you-go-girl chants, there’s a growing suspicion that if girls themselves ran it all, there would be less emphasis on female bonding and more focus on, you know, current policy. To be fair, they’re tackling real-world issues — Supreme Court exercise addresses privacy debate around mandatory pre-abortion counseling — but winning gubernatorial race managed to achieve this when she claims that Girls State prepared girls for sexism rather than fighting sexism.
McBaine and Moss’s naturalistic and observational cinematic style suits the subject perfectly; their stunning images and one-on-one interviews are perfectly balanced and equally revealing. They fall into a subplot about the friends we made along the way — Nisha and Maddie became quite close during Girls State — that is warm and delicate, but also affirms two vital notions: despite their differing opinions and competition for the same position at the Supreme Court, they may well remain close friends. And greater collective feminist support requires individual support; this reflects the idea that girls running for governor must be able to speak to large crowds as effectively as they must interact with people face-to-face.
The filmmakers also chose the perfect “main character” in Emily, who is fascinatingly complex. She repeatedly presents herself as a conservative Christian. She studies journalism. She truly understands that sharing and listening to her opinion is more valuable than trying to change someone’s opinion. In a great moment, she asks someone if they have real ideas instead of rhetoric and generalizations. (She might have realized too late that her journalism project would have fit well with her run for governor if the idea had occurred to her.) Spending time with her forces us to consider not just diversity political points of view, but also the diversity of thoughts. within the individual. She is the key figure reflecting how Girls State only reinforces the diminished status of women in politics; Is the program disenfranchising them or enlightening and empowering them to make a difference? Either way, it’s an education.
Our call: Girls State is a smart, entertaining and quietly vital documentary. Spread it.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
New York Post
