GIRLS STATE - Mark Reviews Movies

Girls State, Apple Studios

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Review by Mark Dujsik | April 4, 2024

Girls State is quite different from its predecessor Boys State, but that's mostly because Girls State and Boys State, annual programs for teens from each state to create and participate in a mock government, are different entities. In theory, they're supposed to be the same, but directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss make it clear that the participants of Girls State are seen as less important than their teenage-boy counterparts.

The previous documentary, an optimistic and occasionally frightening look at how even kids playing at politics can remain sincerely idealistic about goals or become corrupted by the games of the political system, was all about campaigning, the creation of a party platform, how candidates would adapt or sacrifice their opinions to suit the game, and how even the darkest of views can turn up in a such a setting. It was a thorough depiction of a mostly unintentional social experiment, created and run by the American Legion as a way to expand the knowledge and experience of more civics-minded teenagers.

Watching that film, the thought of Girls State almost certainly came to mind, and the expectation, perhaps, is that McBaine and Moss would be able to compare and differentiate what a large group of girls would do under similar conditions and with the same basic goal. It doesn't really happen here, and that's not the fault of the participants or the filmmakers. The big question becomes why the girls aren't allowed or given the same resources to do what boys can do in their program.

Just as our experience of witnessing a Boys State program became a mirror of modern-day political discourse and hypocrisy and disharmony, watching this Girls State retreat becomes a mirror of how, in many noticeable and less-obvious ways, women remain seen and treated as second-class citizens in this country. The dichotomy between the two programs is even more striking because, during the filming of this particular event and for the first time in the state programs' histories, both the Girls State and Boys State programs in Missouri are taking place on the same college campus.

Even if they wanted to, the girls can't escape the boys, what they're doing, and how much more freedom they're allowed in actually accomplishing the goals the program sets forth of them. The disappointment and frustration are, for the participants, apparent and, for us, heightened, because we're anticipating a similar experience as the previous film.

The basic structure of this documentary is pretty much the same as the last one, as we meet a select group of Girls State participants, learn a bit about their stories and their aims for taking part in the program, and observe the drama of seeing these teens work with and compete against each other. It's the summer of 2022, and a major topic of conversation is the recent leak of an alleged draft of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that would overturn the established precedent of Roe v. Wade. A lot of the girls want to talk about that, as well as what it could mean for the future of reproductive rights across the United States, and if anybody has the right to, it's these girls, whose lives and futures could be affected by the ruling.

Some of them are personally happy with what seems to be the court's decision. One of those number is Emily Worthmore, who dreams of becoming President in 2040 (or a journalist or rock star as alternatives, although she doesn't want to limit herself to one dream, either). She's politically conservative but previously hasn't spoken openly about her views. Emily wants this to be the big introduction to her more openly political self, and she definitely makes the most of it, pointing out and repeating to everyone she meets that she's a conservative while campaigning for governor of the program.

Other participants, of course, are angry and/or worried about the potential change in judicial standards and the long-standing interpretation of the Constitution, such as Nisha Murali. She wants a position on Girls State's highest court, so she can listen to arguments and ultimately rule on cases of such importance—even if only as a sort-of game. Nisha is also a bit shy and wants to be more sociable, and there's no better place to start than with a group of girls with the same interests as her.

We meet more, obviously—girls of various backgrounds, political opinions, and hopes for what this program can do for them. Almost as soon as they arrive, though, the talk is less about politics, campaigns, what the two fake parties' platforms should be, and how government should be run. It's more about the rules the program's counselors put upon them—matters like dress code and, because Boys State is there, a "buddy system," so that no girl is alone with so many teenage boys, who can walk around shirtless if they want to, nearby.

We can see and, because the filmmakers spent a whole previous film establishing certain things to anticipate, feel how dispiriting this is—constantly and for new, transparent reasons as the program progresses. It's one thing to put a bunch of political nerds together and limit the impact of a program that's supposed to be tailored to their interests. It's another to put a group of girls together and make clear that their experiences don't matter as much as the boys next door. Combine the two, and the only bit of hope is that these girls can see right through the hypocrisy, make a point about highlighting the problem, and try to do something about it.

In a way, that might make Girls State a more optimistic film than its predecessor, if only because the chaos and backbiting and double-speak we saw with the boys is absent here. There's a bigger issue at hand. At a time when no one in the United States seems capable of agreeing just enough to solve a string of obvious problems, these girls can unite and do find a common goal to accomplish, in spite of their differences and, getting at the core of the problem, to the degree they're able under the circumstances.

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