ShortList 2019: ‘How Does It Start’ Director Amber Sealey’s Inspiration? Her Own Pre-Teen Diary (Video)
”There are a lot of films where there are boys aged 10, 11, 12 who are masturbating or spying on girls or interested in sex … We don’t have that same thing for young girls,“ Sealey says
Amber Sealey started writing “How Does It Start” after finding her diaries from middle school. The diary entries chronicled one of the many awkward stages of puberty — the tween years when crushes begin to bloom and hormones begin to rage. Sealey realized that she hadn’t seen very many portrayals of this developmental stage in girls on screen.
“I feel like there are a lot of films where there are boys aged 10, 11, 12 who are masturbating or spying on girls or interested in sex, and it’s normal and natural. We don’t have that same thing for young girls,” Sealey told TheWrap. “I got interested in the idea of making this film as a missing chapter in the canon of film on female sexuality.”
Sealey’s short, a finalist in TheWrap’s 2019 ShortList Film Festival, follows a seventh-grade girl in 1983 trying to figure out how to get a boyfriend and understand her sexual urges.
She reads age-inappropriate self-help books, experiments with kissing a friend and watches her classmates’ budding relationships carefully. While the script isn’t entirely based on Sealey’s life, many of the main character’s diary entries are.
“Some of them are lifted, verbatim, from my own diaries when I was like 11,” said Sealey, who plans to expand the 16-minute short into a feature film with the same main character and theme.
“I hope it makes people think about the experience of female sexuality and how we have portrayed it so far on screen. There are so many other new and more nuanced ways that we can portray it,” Sealey said.
Watch the film above. Viewers can also screen the films at any time during the festival at Shortlistfilmfestival.com and vote through Aug. 21.
From 'Sixteen Candles' to 'Eighth Grade': 17 Cringeworthy Moments From Coming-of-Age Movies (Photos)
Bo Burnham's debut film "Eighth Grade" is getting praise for its realistic and touching portrayal of growing up today. It builds on a long line of movies that deal with the awkwardness of coming of age. Here are 17 of them.
Universal Pictures / 20th Century Fox / A24
The Graduate (1967)
In this classic from director Mike Nichols, Benjamin Braddock (breakout star Dustin Hoffman) has a lot of cringeworthy moments with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), including one where he utters the famous line: "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?"
Embassy Pictures
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
This raunchy comedy took on teenage sexuality and a whole lot more. In one cringeworthy scene, Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) offers Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) a five-point plan for getting with a girl. The plan goes as follows: (1) "You never let on how much you like a girl," (2) "you always call the shots," (3) "act like wherever you are, that's the place to be," (4) "whenever you order something, find out what she wants and order it for both of you," and (5) "when it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on Side 1 of Led Zeppelin 4."
Universal Pictures
Sixteen Candles (1984)
In the earliest of John Hughes' iconic teen movies, Samantha (Molly Ringwald) pines after older boy Jake (Michael Schoeffling) and avoids nerdy Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), while her sixteenth birthday gets overshadowed by her older sister's upcoming marriage. In one cringeworthy scene, Ted accosts Samantha on the dance floor and starts dancing in front of her. Samantha runs away to cry, and he's left awkwardly dancing by himself.
Universal Pictures
The Breakfast Club (1985)
This story of kids from different cliques coming together for detention is widely recognized as one of the greatest high school movies of all time. You can't help but squirm when Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) decides to create the appearance of "snow" on her drawing by scratching her hair to shake off some dandruff.
Universal Pictures
Weird Science (1985)
In this science-fiction comedy from John Hughes, social outcasts Gary and Wyatt (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) use a computer program to bring a woman to life. In one especially cringeworthy scene, Gary and Wyatt take a shower with their creation -- together --and can't even form a sentence because they're too busy staring at her naked body.
Universal Pictures
Pretty in Pink (1986)
This John Hughes film focuses on Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) and her relationship with a much more popular Blane (Andrew McCarthy). In one particularly cringeworthy scene, her awkward friend Duckie starts talking to himself as he considers divulging his true love to Andie.
Stand by Me (1986)
This Rob Reiner adaptation of a Stephen King story tells the story of four boys from a small town in Oregon who go on a hike to find the missing body of a child. It's hard not to cringe (and feel a little faint) when the boys get bitten by leeches after they take a dip in a forest pool. Especially when Gordie (Wil Wheaton) faints after pulling a leech from his crotch.
Columbia Pictures
Say Anything (1989)
In Cameron Crowe's directorial debut, kickboxer Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) falls in love with valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye). In one cringeworthy scene toward the end of the movie, Diane goes to Lloyd's gym to reconcile with him and declare her true feelings. They eventually make up and kiss -- even though Lloyd has been punched in the face during training and has a very bloody nose the entire time. (Ew.)
20th Century Fox
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
In this popular romantic comedy-drama, director Gil Junger retold Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" in a high school. In one moment at the end that's both cute and a little cringeworthy, Kat (Julia Stiles) makes a very awkward public declaration while reading a poem called, you guessed it, "10 Things I Hate About You."
Buena Vista Pictures
American Pie (1999)
In this teen comedy from Adam Herz, a group of teenage boys compete to lose their virginity during their senior year of high school. There are two especially cringeworthy moments involving a webcam.
Universal Pictures
Mean Girls (2004)
Cady Harrington (Lindsay Lohan) suffers numerous cringeworthy moments in her quest for popularity and the love of Aaron Rogers. Two stick out: When Cady falls into a garbage can (oops), and when she gets drunk and tells Aaron she only pretended to be bad at math so they could become friends -- then pukes on his shoes.
Paramount Pictures
Juno (2007)
Jason Reitman's comedy stars Ellen Page as an independent, snarky teenager named Juno who winds up getting pregnant by her friend Paulie (Michael Cera). Both characters are very awkward -- in a loveable way -- but one scene that sticks out is their confrontation in the hallway at their school. Juno asks Paulie if he's going to prom with a certain "stink-eyed" girl, and Paulie admits that he has asked her. The scene ends with Juno lashing out at Paulie and saying that she only hooked up with him because she was bored. Things get worse from there.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Superbad (2007)
This teen comedy stars Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as awkward high school seniors trying to lose their virginity, and it's pretty cringeworthy from beginning to end. Here's one scene that's sure to make you wince: Seth (Hill) comes back from dancing with a girl, only to have his friends point out that there's blood on his leg -- most likely because the girl was on her time of the month.
Columbia Pictures
Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Charlie (Logan Lerman) may be a wallflower, but he still gets himself into some awkward situations -- such as the entirety of his relationship with Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman).
Summit Entertainment
Lady Bird (2017)
In Greta Gerwig's lauded directorial debut, the self-named Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) has one of her most cringeworthy moments at the end of the movie. She's finally made it to college in New York City, and what's one of the first thing she does in the Big Apple? At a party, she meets a guy and starts hooking up with him, only to puke and end up at the hospital for drinking too much. Let's hope Marion, aka Mom, never finds out about that one.
A24
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
This romantic drama from Luca Guadagnino hit theaters last year to instant critical acclaim, earning Academy Award nomations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor. The film chronicles the romantic relationship between 17-year old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and his father's graduate-student assistant Oliver (Armie Hammer). The film is filled with cringeworthy moments, including one with a peach that we can't discuss here, but here's another: As the film progresses, Elio (Chalamet) abandons his sort-of girlfriend, Marzia, for Oliver. Eventually she comes to the house to confront him, and finally asks, "Am I your girl?" -- only to be met with silence.
Sony Pictures Classics
Eighth Grade (2018)
In his directorial debut, Bo Burnham brings the coming-of-age story to 2018, with an honest and funny depiction of an awkward 14-year old girl named Kayla (Elsie Fisher) as she navigates her last week of eighth grade. Truth be told, the entire film is pretty cringeworthy. But in one scene, Kayla is about to practice a sex move on a banana in the kitchen, when in walks her dad. "I thought you didn't like bananas?" he says. The awkward conversation that follows is both hilarious and, for some, only watchable through gaps between their fingers.
A24
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Bo Burnham’s film inspired us to look back
Bo Burnham's debut film "Eighth Grade" is getting praise for its realistic and touching portrayal of growing up today. It builds on a long line of movies that deal with the awkwardness of coming of age. Here are 17 of them.
15 Teen Dramas That Are Still Essential Viewing for Adults (Photos)
Angst, love, heartbreak, gossip, football: these are all defining things from teen hood. Here's a roundup of the best teen dramas that stand the test of time -- and surpass age limits.
Various
"Dawson's Creek" "Dawson's Creek" ran on The WB from 1998-2003, and starred James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and and Joshua Jackson. The show set the stage for shows featuring teen love in small towns like "One Tree Hill" and "Gilmore Girls."
The WB
"Gossip Girl" Kristen Bell is the voice of Gossip Girl, an anonymous blogger who revels in revealing secrets about the spoiled kids of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Drama lovers, your search ends here: Serena (Blake Lively) and Blair (Leighton Meester) go through scandals galore. The show was on The CW from 2007-2012.
The CW
"Degrassi: Next Generation" People still love to talk about "Degrassi" because we like to remember Drake when he was still Aubrey Graham. The Canadian-set show about high school kids deals with more than heartbreak: some of the more notable episodes deal with teen pregnancy, racism and eating disorders. The show started on MTV in the U.S. but has played on several networks and launched the spinoff "Degrassi: Next Class."
DHX Media
"The O.C." "California, here we come," are lyrics in "The O.C." theme song, also the theme song for any California road trip ever. The show about bad boy Ryan (Ben McKenzie) living in Newport Beach hit Fox in 2003 and ended after Season 4 in 2007.
Fox
"One Tree Hill" "One Tree Hill" is like the "Dawson's Creek" for the next generation. Taking place in small town North Carolina, the show documents the relationship between two half brothers who go back and forth between being friends and rivals. The show ran on The WB, then The CW, from 2003-2012.
The CW
"The Vampire Diaries" The 2000s were fraught with vampire shows, but "The Vampire Diaries" stands out against some of the rest of the noise, especially with its huge fan following. The show started in 2009 and had its series finale this year, and aired on The CW.
The CW
"Riverdale" The CW's latest show has quickly picked up a large fan base. Based off the "Archie" comics, "Riverdale" has murder, sex and lies ... the perfect cocktail for a good drama.
The CW
"Gilmore Girls" Watching "Gilmore Girls" is kind of like curling up with a warm cup of coffee on a snowy day. It's warm and fuzzy and familiar. We're not including the recent Netflix reboot, by the way. "Gilmore Girls" started in 2000 and ended in 2007 on The WB, then The CW.
The CW
"Boy Meets World" "Boy Meets World" aired from 1993-2000, meaning many a millennial would come home from school to watch Cory Matthews mouth off at school to Mr. Feeny. But we eventually grew up, right alongside Cory, and for that "Boy Meets World" has a special place in our hearts. The show aired on ABC.
ABC
"Skins" This British teen drama dives right in to serious topics like anorexia, drug abuse and death. The show spawned an MTV spinoff that only lasted one season, but the original aired on BBC America from 2007-2013.
BBC America
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" The classic teen vampire show. Fans of "Buffy" will probably tell you that it's the best teen show of all time. Whether or not they're right, you'll probably enjoy this gem starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. It aired from 1997-2003 on The WB, then United Paramount Network.
The WB
"Veronica Mars" Wait, you didn't know that Kristen Bell starred in a teen crime show? Well, now you know. "Veronica Mars" was short-lived--it lasted from 2004-2007 -- but has become a cult favorite. It aired on United Paramount Network/The CW.
Warner Bros.
"My So-Called Life" This teen drama starring Claire Danes and Jared Leto only lasted one season -- 1994-1995 on ABC -- but is a much loved show. Some would even call it TV's best teen drama. Good news is, one season is really easy to binge now.
ABC
"Friday Night Lights" Football. Kyle Chandler. High school stakes. What more do you really need? "Friday Night Lights" aired on 2006-2011 on NBC and then The 101.
NBC
"Freaks and Geeks" "Freaks and Geeks" served as a launching pad for many beloved actors, like Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel. The one season tale of misfits--from 1999-2000 on NBC-- won an Emmy in 2000 for Outstanding Casting in a Comedy Series.
NBC
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From ”Dawson’s Creek“ to ”Veronica Mars,“ these teen shows are worth watching whatever your age
Angst, love, heartbreak, gossip, football: these are all defining things from teen hood. Here's a roundup of the best teen dramas that stand the test of time -- and surpass age limits.
Universal Pictures / 20th Century Fox / A24
Embassy Pictures
Various
