Leah Giarritano

EPSY 430

Movie Case Study

5 Girls

The movie 5 Girls provides a candid glimpse into the adolescent development of five

young girls as they deal with the unique issues encountered in their daily lives

during this tumultuous stage of transition and growth. Adolescence is a crossroads

where major developmental milestones collide: puberty, brain maturation, cognitive

and emotional development, peer pressure, school transitions, changes in family

dynamics, sexuality and identity formation. Navigating those rough waters can

prove challenging for any young adult. In this film, we gain significant insight into

the pressures and expectations brought on during this developmental stage as we

follow five girls coping with the challenges of adolescence and struggling to find

their way in the world.

Seventeen-year old Corrie is a high school senior struggling with issues related to

her bisexuality, her father’s reaction to her sexual orientation, her parents’ divorce

and the role of religion in her life. Corrie is confident in herself and enjoys politics,

but has a hard time connecting with her peers at school, which makes her feel

isolated and misunderstood. Research conducted by Savin-Williams (1995) informs

us that “the view that deviations from gender norms is pathological combined with

the view that if one does deviate, it should be in a prescribed way, may make many

young lesbians and female bisexuals feel alienated and confused” (Basow and Rubin,

pp. 34). Corrie embraces her sexual identity as a bisexual but struggles to cope with

the disapproval and threat of abandonment by her father, a staunch Christian who

refuses to accept her sexual orientation. We observe the awkwardness of the

relationship with her father as we see them struggling to communicate and connect

with one another. During adolescence, issues of sexual awareness and identity are at

the forefront of life. Feeling connected to and accepted by peers and family

members is critical to healthy development. Although Corrie never resolves her

issues with her dad, she joins a Pride Youth Program where gay kids can meet

together and cope with their emotions in a positive and safe environment. Two

years later, at college, Corrie feels like part of a community for the first time in her

life. She has grown to love and accept herself and recognizes that she can be happy

despite her father’s rejection.

Aisha is an honor student and an athlete. At sixteen years old, she lives with her

father, only seeing her mother on weekends, and struggles with the pressure to

please both of her parents. Aisha is frustrated trying to cope with the negative

emotions that have existed between her parents since their recent separation.

Though divorce can be detrimental to the immediate and long-term mental health of

adolescents, studies by Furstenberg, Morgan, & Allison (1987) and Menning (2002)

have shown that “financial support from fathers…is associated with less problem

behavior and higher academic achievement” (Steinberg, pp. 152). Aisha’s father is

very involved in her life, from attending all of her basketball games and restricting

her ability to date, to directing her clothing choices, his participation, though

overwhelming at times, likely empowers her and fuels her success and confidence.

While her father’s initial tendencies lean toward authoritarian parenting, he seems

to begin gravitating toward authoritative parenting as he gains respect for Aisha’s

choices and allows her more flexibility to make her own decisions. “Children who

are responsible, self-directed, curious, and self-assured elicit from their parents

warmth, flexible guidance, and verbal give-and-take” (Steinberg, pp. 142). Two

years later, Aisha feels like she is flourishing. Having been awarded scholarships at

two different colleges, she is proud of herself, knows she is a hard worker and that

she doesn’t need to depend on anyone else.

Toby, a thirteen-year old girl who considers herself “normal”, is becoming

increasingly aware of the social and peer pressures that surround her life. She

mentions that there are a lot of cliques at school and with which group of friends

you are associated really matters. “The cognitive changes of adolescence permit a

more sophisticated understanding of social relationships, an understanding which

may allow the sort of abstract categorization that leads to groups individuals into

crowds” (Steinberg, pp. 175). Toby feels pressure to look like other people she

thinks are pretty and believes that her hair is too frizzy; however, she does establish

limits to what she feels is acceptable behavior when she dismisses the pressure to

have a boyfriend and to dance in a manner similar to some of her other peers

(grinding and lap-dancing). Her resilience to peer pressure early in adolescence is a

good sign and reflective, in part, of significant parental involvement in her life.

Though they admit to imposing high expectations on Toby, her parent’s love,

support and acceptance of her have a powerful impact on her confidence,

personality and attitude. “Study after study finds that adolescents who feel that their

parents or guardians are there for them—caring, involved and accepting—are

healthier, happier, and more competent than their peers…” (Steinberg, pp. 163).

Toby is successful, happy and thriving.

Amber, a fifteen-year old junior has been on the honor roll since her freshman year

in high school and carries a 3.6 GPA. She lives with her mom, stepfather, sister and

brother in a small apartment in a rough neighborhood, riddled with crime and drugs

on the south side of Chicago. Amber has no memories of her father, a drug dealer

who was killed when she was just a young girl. As she navigates her way through

adolescence, troubles between Amber and her mother are escalating and ultimately

peak when Amber decides to leave home and move in with her elderly grandmother.

According to research by Larson & Richards (1994), “During the same time that the

number of daily conflicts between parents and their early adolescent children

increases (compared with preadolescence), declines occur in the amount of time

they spend together and in their reports of emotional closeness” (Arnett, pp. 319).

Smetana (1989) explains, “Several researchers have studied changes in the

adolescents’ cognitive abilities and how these changes may reverberate throughout

the family. Changes in the ways adolescents view family rules and regulations may

contribute to increased conflict between them and their parents” (Steinberg, pp.

138). Despite significant discord with her mother, essentially living on her own and

dating a much older boy who is under house arrest for selling drugs, Aisha

maintains her commitment to education and ultimately, with support from a role-

model teacher, gets accepted at the University of Illinois. She is the first woman in

her family to go to college and according to her, “she’s a survivor.”

Haibinh, a Vietnamese native living in a gateway community in Chicago with her

family, is fifteen years old. She is ranked as one of the top ten students at her magnet

high school and believes that doing well in school is the only thing that will make

her happy. She puts a lot of pressure on herself to fit in with her peers and often

feels like she has a dual personality, with both Vietnamese and American influences

in her daily life. Haibihn explains that in the Vietnamese culture kids are suppressed

and not given freedom of choice by their parents. “Asian American parents are

stricter than their counterparts from other cultural groups” (Steinberg, pp. 143).

Her parents are very strict and her mom tells her that freedom does not mean doing

everything she wants to do. According to research by Yau & Smetana (1996),

“Nonwhite parents frequently combine a very high degree of strictness (like white

authoritarian parents) with warmth (like white authoritative parents)” (Steinberg,

pp. 143). Haibihn has been remarkably successful, both emotionally and

academically, while coping with peer pressure, cultural identity issues and family

life transitions. This success seems, in large part, to be related to strong family

bonds, a hybrid cultural parenting style and her own dedication. Two years later,

Haibihn was accepted to Harvard, Brown and Stanford, and chose to attend

Stanford.

In the film, 5 Girls, we are introduced to five culturally and economically diverse

girls facing the challenges of adolescence. From issues related to sexuality, changes

in family dynamics, peer pressure, parental discord and cultural identity transitions,

these girls allow us to observe the challenges faced during this tumultuous stage in

life. Each girl’s story is heart-warming, engaging and enlightening, granting us the

privilege of walking beside her as she faces the rough terrain of adolescence.

Resources

Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen (May 1999). Adolescent Storm and Stress, Reconsidered,

American Psychologist (Vol. 54, No. 5, pp. 317-326).

Basow, Susan A. and Rubin, Lisa R. (1999). Gender Influences on Adolescent

Development. In N.G. Johnson, M. Roberts, & J. Worell (Eds.), Beyond Appearances: A

New Look at Adolescent Girls. (pp. 25-52). Washington, DC: APA.

Steinberg, L. (2005). Adolescence (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. (Ch. 4, pp. 131-

163), (Ch.5, pp. 173-197).