Girls Rock!
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
|name = Girls Rock!
|image = Girls Rock!.jpg
|caption = Girls Rock! film poster
|director = Arne Johnson
Shane King
|producer = Arne Johnson
|cinematography = Shane King
|editing = Diana J. Brodie
Arne Johnson
Shane King
|distributor = Shadow Distribution
|released = {{Film date|2007|4|21|Toronto Hot Docs Film Festival|2008|03|07|United States}}
|runtime = 90 minutes
|country = United States
|language = English
}}
Girls Rock! is a 2007 documentary film that follows four 8-18-year-old girls at the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon, United States.
At Rock and Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that "it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are." The girls have a week to select a band, an instrument they may have never played before, and write a song. In between, they are taught by indie rock stars such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of the week, all the bands perform a concert for over 700 people. The film follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed with death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction, homelessness and gang activity; and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi.
The film ultimately explores what happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed, and pressured to conform.
Screenings
The movie opened in the following cities on March 7, 2008: New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Berkeley, Chicago.
Critical reception
The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 70% approval rank based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus states: "Girls Rock! is an inspiring and enjoyable documentary of girls' empowerment and self-discovery".{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1192245-girls_rock|title=Girls Rock! (2007)|accessdate=July 26, 2021|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster}} Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 7 reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/girls-rock!|title=Girls Rock! (2008): Reviews|accessdate=July 26, 2021|website=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive}}
Ty Burr of the Globe and Mail said that "How are girls supposed to behave in a culture that tells them they're Disney princesses for the first 12 years and sex toys after that? Girls Rock! has one answer: Strap on a Fender and rage against the machine".{{cite news|title=At this rock camp, power chords, power plays, and girl power|last=Burr|first=Ty|authorlink=Ty Burr|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2008/07/31/at_this_rock_camp_power_chords_power_plays_and_girl_power/|work=Globe and Mail|publisher=Boston.com|date=July 31, 2008|accessdate=July 26, 2021}}
Ultimate Guitar gives Girls Rock! 7 out of 10,{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/documentary_film/girls_rock_dvd/|title=Girls Rock! [DVD] reviews|website=Ultimate Guitar|accessdate=July 26, 2021}} while Kimberly Jones of The Austin Chronicle gave it 2.5 out of 5.{{cite news|title=Girls Rock!|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2008-03-21/595833/|last=Jones|first=Kimberly|work=The Austin Chronicle|date=March 21, 2008|accessdate=July 26, 2021}}
Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times praised the film, saying that "Young women find expression for more than their music in Girls Rock!, a jubilant documentary about a place where power chords and empowerment go hand in hand".{{cite news|last=Catsoulis|first=Jeannette|title=Rock 'n' Roll Camp|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 7, 2008|page=E17}}
Noel Murray of The A.V. Club pointed out that "Frankly, the scenes of these girls trying to work together and share ideas are enough to make the movie's point".{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/girls-rock-1798203892|last=Murray|first=Noel|title=Girls Rock!|work=The A.V. Club|publisher=The Onion|date=March 6, 2008|accessdate=July 26, 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite magazine|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/februaryweb-only/girlsrock.html|last=Hertz|first=Todd|title=Girls Rock!|magazine=Christianity Today|date=February 29, 2008}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.girlsrockmovie.com/}}
- {{IMDb title|1028539}}
Category:Documentary films about children
Category:American feminist films
Category:2007 documentary films
Category:2000s English-language films
Category:English-language documentary films
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