What happens to carefree, confident little girls as they approach womanhood? Statistics show that in too many cases, their concept of self becomes warped. Girls are surrounded by forces that persuade them to go against their own best judgment, to keep quiet when they want to object, to detest their bodies for being less than perfect, and to devalue their own voices in favor of the louder and more persistent messages gleaned from commercials, fashion magazines and MTV. The result is an increase in the number of teenage girls who experience eating disorders, drug problems, suicide attempts, early sexual relations and other self-destructive behaviors. RUN LIKE A GIRL and SMILE PRETTY go inside the experience of American teenage girls as they grapple with growing up in a world that tells them they are fat, ugly, loud-mouthed or frigid if they are anything but conventionally pretty, thin, unassuming and sweet. RUN LIKE A GIRL and SMILE PRETTY were each shot by an all-woman crew to put interview subjects at ease relating personal anecdotes, and to facilitate shooting behind-the-scenes in female-only environments such as locker and dressing rooms. Editing without narration allows the girls tell their stories in their own words. The result: two very intimate, honest documentaries which peel away pretense and reveal the essence of teenage girls' experience. Says Producer/Director Carol Cassidy, "Part of being a girl in our culture is learning to keep secrets. Girls tend to keep quiet about sex, pain, rage, intelligence, desires, ideas and dreams. They learn to protect their parents from the details of girls' experience. They keep their wisdom, friendship, love, power and hope to themselves. I've discovered that girls will talk if you listen with respect and without judging. These programs are designed to spark all night heart-to-heart talks. They are for anyone who has ever been, or cared about, a young American girl." Home | Shows | Findings | Girls Speak Out | Girl Power | Talkback | Resources | ITVS