Media Education Foundation

In 2008, 18 high school girls were accused of making a pact to become pregnant. This film looks behind the headlines and hype and explores the complicated challenges faced by pregnant teens.

2010 67 min 1-932869-48-4 This film has subtitles

English

The Gloucester 18

The Realities of Teen Pregnancy

or

The Gloucester 18

Synopsis

When news spread in 2008 that eighteen high school girls from Gloucester, Massachusetts, had made a pact with one another to become pregnant, it touched off an international firestorm. But in the tabloid-driven frenzy of moral outrage and speculation that followed, the real story went missing. The Gloucester 18 tells that story. Drawing on interviews with the girls involved, high school counselors, health experts, and doctors, the film puts a human face on a stunning fact: that the U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world. An excellent resource for high school health classes, teen pregnancy prevention programs, and courses in psychology, public health, and media studies.

Release Date:2010

Duration:67 min

ISBN:1-932869-48-4

Subtitles:English

Trailers

Watch the trailer

Filmmaker Credits

Director

John Michael Williams

Producer

Kristen Grieco

Executive Producer

John Michael Williams

Associate Producer

Joseph Provenzano

Editors

Christo Tsiaras & Joseph Provenzano

Story

Kristen Grieco & John Michael Williams

Production Crew

Glen Chalek

Consultants

Frank Drucker, Jennifer Hefferman & Jacqeline Williams

Director of Photography

Donald McIntosh, Edward Marcotti & Brian Dowley

Second Unit Camera Operators

Joe Christofori, Martin Albert, Thomas Danielczik & Joseph Vitagliano

Original Music

John Michael Williams & Stuart Kollmorgen

Sound Design

Big Yello Duck

Sound Mixer

John Osborne, Fred Burnham, Steve Bores, Mario Cardenas, Frank DeAngelis

Music

John Gerard, Beyonce, SOLANGE, Killer Tracks

Archival Research

Kristen Grieco

Film Festivals

Cape Ann Film Festival 2010

Resources: Downloads and Related Links

Downloads:

Praise

"We were universally moved. The power of the individual stories, set in the broader context of their lives, and in the larger story of adolescent sexuality and parenting, stayed with us all for days following the viewing. What happened in Gloucester means something about how we as a society understand young people and their intentions, and how we frame teen pregnancy overall. Your film provides a platform for unearthing the complexities of teen sex, pregnancy, and parenting. I have been working to address teen pregnancy for more than 15 years, and I doubt I could have done a better job of telling the story of who teen parents are."

- Patricia Quinn
Executive Director of Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy

"One of the nation's great success stories of the past two decades has been the extraordinary declines in teen pregnancy and childbearing. The recent, alarming turnaround in the teen birth rate, however, is a stark reminder that our collective efforts on this front are far from over. The Gloucester 18 is a sober, engaging, and thoughtful reminder that road ahead will not be easy. The documentary makes clear that adolescence pregnancy is a complex problem -- not an issue captured in headlines and soundbites. It paints a detailed portrait of the profound challenges of early parenthood and its generational effects."

- Bill Albert
Chief Program Officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

"Every high school girl should see this film on the first day of high school and every year after."

- Margaret Hoover
O'Reilly Factor Culture Warrior

"This film ... should be mandatory viewing for every teen in the country."

- Yvonne Abraham
The Boston Globe

"This is a documentary that explores a hot-button issue with objectivity and genuine concern. By skillfully excerpting interviews around an issues-based narrative, director John Michael Williams creates a sense of urgency. The Gloucester 18 covers a controversial issue with unique objectivity and insight. It avoids political and religious debate. 'Doing the right thing' and making the best of difficulties is a common theme. Tiny babies nestle in their mothers' arms as the cameras roll. Concern for their well-being and future drives this powerful human interest film. (4 stars)."

- M. Abby Joseph
Examiner.com

"The Gloucester 18 is a great teaching tool for many levels of educators and providers; the framing of this issue by media vs. public health is a great point of discussion. In addition, it is a great conversation starter with youth. The teen parents are relatable and real in their remarks about getting pregnant and parenting at a young age."

- Dr. Pat Paluzzi
President CEO of the Healthy Teen Network

"The Gloucester 18 is recommended viewing for anyone who cares about preventing teen pregnancy, and who has compassion for young people who are struggling to get by. It takes a sensationalized story and looks at it objectively and soberly, sensitively portraying the challenges, rewards, and heartbreak that often accompany teen pregnancy and parenthood. Teen pregnancy is a complex issue and this film unpacks its many layers in a way that will open the eyes -- and hearts -- of teens and adults alike."

- Christine Clark
Program Director, The Candie's Foundation

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