Movie Review: Girls State

4 years after they showed us the Texas chapter of influential mock government program Boys State, filmmakers Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss are back to focus on its partner Girls State. They have moved to Missouri for this go around however, to capture the first time that the girls’ and boys’ events will be running concurrently on the same campus. Whether it was their original intention or not, this serves to highlight the striking disparities between the two programs without the need to watch both movies.

As in Boys State, we are presented with photographs of high-powered Americans who have been through the program, though it is immediately apparent that there are far fewer of them and that they are universally surrounded by men. We are then introduced to a variety of attendees who aspire to reach the top positions of the event, like earning a spot on the Supreme Court or being elected Governor. They hail from diverse backgrounds and skew surprisingly liberal for a state like Missouri, but all demonstrate an admirable knowledge of and love for political policy.

It is all too easy then to relate to their frustration as they begin to notice that much of the discussion in their program seems to be revolving around superficial issues whereas the boys appear to be debating real-world problems. Likewise, they quickly notice that they are subject to much stricter dress and behavior rules than the boys, even commenting that a program supposedly devoted to uplifting female voices is surprisingly invested in policing their bodies. Even when the program finally does switch its focus to more weighty material the girls understandably can’t help but focus on their lesser treatment, with one even launching an investigation into it.

Girls State doesn’t have the propulsive, reality-show-esque storyline of its predecessor, but it does wind up being the more impactful movie. By using this well-intentioned event as a microcosm of the ways in which the world conspires to make women always feel “less than” it shines a light on how much work is left for all of us as a society to right the ship. Seeing the way these young women work together and embrace each other’s myriad differences gives me hope that it isn’t an impossible goal. ★★★★