Moving to a new place, especially a big city like New York, can be difficult for just about anyone, unless you are Leah (Morgan Saylor)--known by many of her peers as White Girl. Leah is outgoing, charismatic and hungry for success and drugs. As she navigates the dangerous streets of New York City, her goal is to find whatever high she can. She finds an unexpected high in a local drug dealer named Blue (Brian Marc), and the two quickly become inseparable. As quickly as their bond is created, it is threatened to be destroyed. Leah must find a way to keep what she has found without digging herself an early grave. But, with things looking more dismal each day, the possibility of success grows continuously more unlikely.
I chose to watch White Girl because I remember watching Saylor in the Showtime drama Homeland. At seventeen years old, Saylor appeared to possess serious talent and the ability to perform in films (and shows) that are of high quality. I expected, now that she has been presented a lead role, she would shine and would be able to keep audiences engaged. To put it simply, Saylor falls flat on her face. Her acting ability is still present, but her ability to connect with audiences is nonexistent in White Girl. The fact that it is clear that she’s talented but still unable to make connections with viewers is more than just disappointing, it’s sad. Even worse, she is not necessarily the reason for her own failures as that falls on the writing of Elizabeth Wood. As an actor (a young one at that), I imagine it has to be so frustrating to know your own worth and have someone else ruin your shot in Hollywood (because even as a bystander I felt for Saylor).
Honestly, the most interesting thing about the film is the title: White Girl. The title has so many meanings, and it causes audiences to think about what goes into the production of a film. This particular title has an obvious meaning, referring to the nickname eagerly given to Leah at the start of the film, but it is also used as a metaphor to explain where Leah’s head is throughout the film. Audiences are made aware early on that Leah’s primary goal when arriving in New York is to get high, and cocaine is the primary way by which she does this. White Girl very much represents Leah’s choice method of getting high, and depicts how much a part of her life cocaine has become. Finally, White Girl plays sort of an ironic role in describing who Leah is throughout the course of the film. According to color-wheel-pro.com, “White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning.” This is, in almost every way, the opposite of what audiences see from Leah throughout the course of White Girl. The fact that the color white is associated with the character gives audiences hope that she may eventually turn her life around, lose the drugs and find success at school (which is the primary reason she moves to New York).
White Girl is full of impeccable talent. Saylor, Marc and Justin Bartha (Kelly) are all talented individuals whose abilities are hindered by the sad and lackadaisical writing of Wood. The casting is wonderful, especially for the roles of Leah and Blue. Those two in particular (with the help of the makeup department and the head of that department, Jackie Risotto) fit perfectly in their roles and very much look the part. Ultimately, I was underwhelmed by what Wood brings to the table and how she essentially leaves her cast and crew hanging, gasping for air as they drown in her absurdities. The film and the story have potential, and it is possible that with a different writer and/or director at the helm, White Girl might have found success.
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