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Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

Play trailer Poster for Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. R Released Mar 19, 1993 1h 32m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A hip, intelligent Brooklyn teenager dreams of escaping life in the projects to go to college and eventually become a doctor. Things go awry when she meets a cute dude with a Jeep, a brownstone, and a mom who spends a lot of time at her boyfriend's.
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Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

Critics Reviews

View All (50) Critics Reviews
Sheryl McCarthy Newsday Harris’ movie shows that girls like Chantel realty do struggle against the forces that seek to trap them, and that they are for more than just victims or statistics. Jan 11, 2023 Full Review David Hinckley New York Daily News Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. isn't just another anything. It's a snapshot of a scene most people think they know, only as the camera gets closer, the picture changes. Even when the viewer laughs, which is often, the ground is subtly shifting. Rated: 3/4 Jan 11, 2023 Full Review Jay Carr Boston Globe Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. is an important debut, not only for Harris -- whose camerawork is impressively fluid and whose writing is smart... but for Arivan Johnson, who comes through with a bold, spunky performance. Jan 11, 2023 Full Review Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) A firebrand debut performance from star Ariyan A. Johnson. Feb 13, 2024 Full Review Michele Meek Ms. Magazine "Just Another Girl on the IRT," directed by Leslie Harris, won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance for its depiction of Black teen Chantel Mitchell who navigates the pressures of sex, parental expectations, friendship and eventually teen motherhood. Feb 23, 2023 Full Review Robin Dougherty Boston Phoenix For a world that treats African-American girls as if they were invisible, Chantel is a reality check. Jan 11, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sanquesha H This is the best movie ever I don't care how old it is 10/10 I will always watch this movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/07/23 Full Review Steve D Not bad but a product of its time. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Director Leslie Harris shows the story of a woman not being limited to her dream and that adolescent problems are so painfully true Chantel is a young black girl living in the city She's a hip intelligent teenager in Brooklyn but many people refuse to take her seriously Here she narrates her life story to the viewer Her dream is to go to college and become a doctor Chantel then meets a cute guy with a Jeep, a brownstone, and a mom who's more interested to spend time with her boyfriend Chantel makes it clear she can be her own person without worrying about judgement Yet she has one foot caught in the realities of systemically limited opportunity Even her principal says she's not ready Nobody can judge you by the way you dress, you can get your life together, our decisions are our own This is a cautionary tale and filmed almost like a documentary with lots of break-the-fourth wall moments Very explosive and hard to watch at times But it packs a rocking soundtrack and a real 90s vibe Ariyan Johnson plays this woman testing the boundaries set for her and reveling in her pockets of freedom when she can The movie clicks with fast-paced dialogue as well as a refreshing frankness about race, trials of motherhood, and childbirth The last scene is the most difficult to watch not knowing how things will work out Harris' only film might've fell under the radar but feels just as effervescent today being she's a filmmaker that dared to go against the Hollywood system Plus it defies many white perceptions of blacks Stories like this don't have to be an uphill battle This expertly shows the struggles of young girls against forces that seek to trap them and breaking away from being statistics Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I can not believe this movie has such low tomatoes. The acting was ok, yes, but the story (the message), creative direction and teaching factor outweighs most dependent and independent films as a whole. I enjoyed using this film as a motivational and educational tool to young urban girls. It worked for me in 1996 when I had to find a way to cope with a teenage miscarriage; and, it worked for those young woman I helped to teach almost 20 years later. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member I just seen this movie recently, and I really enjoyed it. Chantel reminds me when I was young, but thank God we grow up, and learn from are mistakes. Kevin Thigpen was great too! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Watched it back in the early 90s when it was released. An interesting tale that hasn't aged too badly. Great soundtrack and some terrible fashion flash backs... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

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Movie Info

Synopsis A hip, intelligent Brooklyn teenager dreams of escaping life in the projects to go to college and eventually become a doctor. Things go awry when she meets a cute dude with a Jeep, a brownstone, and a mom who spends a lot of time at her boyfriend's.
Director
Leslie Harris
Producer
Erwin Wilson, Leslie Harris
Screenwriter
Leslie Harris
Distributor
Miramax
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 19, 1993, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$211.4K
Runtime
1h 32m
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