She's Too Young
Encyclopedia
She's Too Young is a made-for-TV movie
released in 2004
, starring Marcia Gay Harden
as the mother of a 14 year old daughter who is involved in sex
ual acts hidden from her parents. The film deals with the issues of drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, parenting an adolescent, the influence of the sexually-driven media, and teen partying.
The movie was shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia with the school scenes being shot at Halifax West High School
.
), Becca (Megan Park
), and Hannah (Alexis Dziena
). Hannah finds herself on the receiving end of peer pressure
from her friends to engage in oral sex
with Nick, who Hannah likes. She believes that she has to behave in a particular fashion in order to fit in with her more sexually active peers. As Hannah becomes more advanced sexually, she does not reveal her sexual encounters to her mother, who is quite concerned about the subject. Although Hannah seems to perform well in school and plays the cello
, Hannah's mother is overly concerned with her daughter's well-being. Thus, Hannah regards her mother's concern as being intrusive. For example, Hannah is annoyed by the onslaught of intrusive questions that her mother throws at her. Thus, Hannah is reluctant to reveal the activities that she has performed upon Nick because she knows that her mother would be appalled.
When Hannah's best friend Dawn gets syphilis
, the nurses at school begin widespread testing. It soon becomes evident that the school is experiencing a syphilis epidemic
. Although Nick is identified as the main spreader of the disease, he does not appreciate the seriousnes nature of the issue. He refuses to be tested and even mocks those who undergo testing. Dawn, one of the more promiscuous of the three girls, reluctantly agrees to get tested. When Dawn discovers out that she has contracted the disease, she realizes the consequences of her behavior and encourages her friends to get tested as well. Hannah notices a sore in her mouth one morning while brushing her teeth. She decides to see the nurse who tells Hannah that she is also infected. Thus, Hannah is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions.
When Hannah's mother finds out about the syphilis spread she launches an effort to alert the school parents about their childrens' dangerous behavior. She tells the parents that there is a need to teach their kids boundaries. Although Hannah's mother is certain that other parents will share her level of concern in respect of overcoming the crisis and helping their children, she is shocked by some of the parents' indifferent attitudes to their children's actions.
Becca is very angry after her strict, religious mother decides to send her to a boarding school
.
Hannah is alienated at school because of her mother. She receives insults from other children at her school. she leaves her house and goes to her friend Tommy's house. They both realize that they like each other and makeout. Hannah wants to have sex, but Tommy refuses. Hannah becomes even more emotionally distraught and is angry at Tommy and she runs off. Meanwhile, Hannah's parents return home and discover that she isn't there. Her mother goes off to find her.
Walking around by herself in the street, Hannah calls Dawn and Becca. Dawn has just come back home, however she is still grounded
and her mother doesn't allow her to speak with Hannah. Meanwhile, Becca is in a car with two boys. Hannah goes to a party at Brad's home, where many of the kids from her school are, looking for Becca. Brad directs Hannah to the basement and when she realizes that Becca is not there, he attempts to have sex with her. Tommy barges into the room, takes a picture of Brad with his camera phone and threatens to "e-mail your face straight to 911". Brad falls for it and leaves Hannah, then ends the party. Tommy takes Hannah to his house and calls her parents while she is sleeping. They come to fetch her and are happy to be with her. Hannah apologizes to them.
At the end of the film, Alexis Dziena appears to give a public service announcement
urging teens to wait to have sex because of both physical and emotional consequences.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
released in 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
, starring Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden is an American film and theatre actress. Harden's breakthrough role was in Miller's Crossing and then The First Wives Club which was followed by several roles which gained her wider fame including the hit comedy Flubber and Meet Joe Black...
as the mother of a 14 year old daughter who is involved in sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
ual acts hidden from her parents. The film deals with the issues of drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, parenting an adolescent, the influence of the sexually-driven media, and teen partying.
The movie was shot in Halifax, Nova Scotia with the school scenes being shot at Halifax West High School
Halifax West High School
Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Clayton Park neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia...
.
Plot
The film focusses upon three 14-year-old high school freshmen girls: Dawn (Miriam McDonaldMiriam McDonald
Miriam Katherine McDonald is a Canadian actress and occasional dancer. She is best known for playing Emma Nelson on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
), Becca (Megan Park
Megan Park
Megan Marie Park is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in Charlie Bartlett and the television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Grace Bowman.-Life and career:...
), and Hannah (Alexis Dziena
Alexis Dziena
-Early life :Dziena was born in New York City of Irish, Italian and Polish descent. She attended the private Saint Ann's School alongside her Bringing Rain costar, Paz de la Huerta. She spent many of her summers growing up in the small South Jersey shore town of Sea Isle City...
). Hannah finds herself on the receiving end of peer pressure
Peer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...
from her friends to engage in oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
with Nick, who Hannah likes. She believes that she has to behave in a particular fashion in order to fit in with her more sexually active peers. As Hannah becomes more advanced sexually, she does not reveal her sexual encounters to her mother, who is quite concerned about the subject. Although Hannah seems to perform well in school and plays the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, Hannah's mother is overly concerned with her daughter's well-being. Thus, Hannah regards her mother's concern as being intrusive. For example, Hannah is annoyed by the onslaught of intrusive questions that her mother throws at her. Thus, Hannah is reluctant to reveal the activities that she has performed upon Nick because she knows that her mother would be appalled.
When Hannah's best friend Dawn gets syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, the nurses at school begin widespread testing. It soon becomes evident that the school is experiencing a syphilis epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
. Although Nick is identified as the main spreader of the disease, he does not appreciate the seriousnes nature of the issue. He refuses to be tested and even mocks those who undergo testing. Dawn, one of the more promiscuous of the three girls, reluctantly agrees to get tested. When Dawn discovers out that she has contracted the disease, she realizes the consequences of her behavior and encourages her friends to get tested as well. Hannah notices a sore in her mouth one morning while brushing her teeth. She decides to see the nurse who tells Hannah that she is also infected. Thus, Hannah is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions.
When Hannah's mother finds out about the syphilis spread she launches an effort to alert the school parents about their childrens' dangerous behavior. She tells the parents that there is a need to teach their kids boundaries. Although Hannah's mother is certain that other parents will share her level of concern in respect of overcoming the crisis and helping their children, she is shocked by some of the parents' indifferent attitudes to their children's actions.
Becca is very angry after her strict, religious mother decides to send her to a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
.
Hannah is alienated at school because of her mother. She receives insults from other children at her school. she leaves her house and goes to her friend Tommy's house. They both realize that they like each other and makeout. Hannah wants to have sex, but Tommy refuses. Hannah becomes even more emotionally distraught and is angry at Tommy and she runs off. Meanwhile, Hannah's parents return home and discover that she isn't there. Her mother goes off to find her.
Walking around by herself in the street, Hannah calls Dawn and Becca. Dawn has just come back home, however she is still grounded
Grounded
Grounded, may refer to:*Grounding , restrictions placed on movement or privileges*Grounded, a song by My Vitriol*Unaccompanied Minors, a film*Grounded , a comic book by Mark Sable for Image Comics...
and her mother doesn't allow her to speak with Hannah. Meanwhile, Becca is in a car with two boys. Hannah goes to a party at Brad's home, where many of the kids from her school are, looking for Becca. Brad directs Hannah to the basement and when she realizes that Becca is not there, he attempts to have sex with her. Tommy barges into the room, takes a picture of Brad with his camera phone and threatens to "e-mail your face straight to 911". Brad falls for it and leaves Hannah, then ends the party. Tommy takes Hannah to his house and calls her parents while she is sleeping. They come to fetch her and are happy to be with her. Hannah apologizes to them.
At the end of the film, Alexis Dziena appears to give a public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
urging teens to wait to have sex because of both physical and emotional consequences.
Cast
- Alexis DzienaAlexis Dziena-Early life :Dziena was born in New York City of Irish, Italian and Polish descent. She attended the private Saint Ann's School alongside her Bringing Rain costar, Paz de la Huerta. She spent many of her summers growing up in the small South Jersey shore town of Sea Isle City...
as Hannah Vogul - Miriam McDonaldMiriam McDonaldMiriam Katherine McDonald is a Canadian actress and occasional dancer. She is best known for playing Emma Nelson on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
as Dawn Gensler - Megan ParkMegan ParkMegan Marie Park is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in Charlie Bartlett and the television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager as Grace Bowman.-Life and career:...
as Becca White - Marcia Gay HardenMarcia Gay HardenMarcia Gay Harden is an American film and theatre actress. Harden's breakthrough role was in Miller's Crossing and then The First Wives Club which was followed by several roles which gained her wider fame including the hit comedy Flubber and Meet Joe Black...
as Trish Vogul - Gary Husdon as Bill Vogul
- Mike ErwinMike ErwinMike Erwin is an American actor who is best known as Colin Hart in the now cancelled WB television series Everwood. He has been more widely heard as the voice of Jak in the Jak and Daxter series from Jak II onward except in the case of Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier in which he did not reprise...
as Nick Hartman - Joe DinicolJoe DinicolJoe Dinicol is a Canadian actor.Dinicol was born in Stratford, Ontario, the son of acting coach and actor Keith Dinicol. He started his career as a child actor at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and has since appeared on national Canadian television series Train 48 and Rideau Hall...
as Tommy - John WhiteJohn White (actor)John Michael White is a Canadian film, television and commercial actor. He began acting during the mid-1990s, appearing on the television series' Goosebumps where he acted on the second goosebumps episode The haunted mask 2 He potrayed the character, Steve. and The Adventures of Shirley Holmes,...
as Brad - Deborah OdellDeborah OdellDeborah Odell is a Canadian actress who has appeared in various films and television series, including Godsend with Robert De Niro and the premiere episode of the SciFi Channel series the Dresden Files.-External links:*...
as Ginnie Gensler - Rhonda McLean as Kathleen White