Girl Fight (2011)
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A bullied high school student's attempt to join a popular clique leads to a brutal, recorded assault.
The story
Haley Macklin is an academically advanced high school student who feels like an outsider after skipping a grade. Frustrated at being excluded by a group of popular girls, she posts negative comments about them on a social networking website. Haley eventually befriends popular student Alexa Simons and is gradually accepted into her social circle, although some of the girls remain suspicious of her. As Haley becomes more involved with the group, her behavior changes and she begins disobeying her parents and treating her family disrespectfully.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After discovering Haley’s online comments, the girls feel betrayed and plot revenge. They lure Haley to Alexa’s house, where they beat her while recording the attack. Haley suffers serious injuries, including a concussion, ruptured eardrum, and damage to her left eye. The girls abandon her in a parking lot, where she is found by a passerby. After learning about the attack, Melissa confronts Alexa and the other girls involved, but they deny responsibility. Alexa’s grandmother, Marylou, becomes suspicious and discovers video evidence of Haley’s beating. After receiving the video, Haley’s parents turn it over to authorities. Alexa and the other girls involved are arrested and charged with kidnapping and battery, with Alexa identified as the ringleader. Although some students at school support the attackers, circulation of the video leads to widespread public outrage. As the case proceeds, Haley favors less severe punishment for her attackers. The five girls are ultimately convicted and receive varying sentences that include probation, jail time, community service and restitution, as well as restrictions on their use of social networking sites. Following the sentencing, Haley and Melissa leave the courthouse together.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stephen Gyllenhaal
- Writers
- Benita Garvin · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anne Heche · Melissa Macklin; Jodelle Ferland · Haley Macklin; James Tupper · Ray Macklin; Tess Atkins · Alexa Simons; Keely Purvis · Kristin Hempton; Linda Darlow · Marylou Simons; Genevieve Buechner · Lauren Kramer; Chanelle Peloso · Dana
- Genres
- crime drama; television film; teen drama
- Themes
- bullying; social media consequences; peer pressure
- Tone and mood
- disturbing; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- based on actual events; teen drama; crime drama
- Reception
- The film's depiction of the attack caused nationwide public outrage and received national media attention due to the real-life inspiration.
- Production trivia
- Anne Heche and James Tupper were a couple in real life until their split in 2018.; The film recreated portions of the recorded assault for its depiction of the attack.; Jodelle Ferland described filming the assault sequence as disturbing despite knowing that the violence was staged.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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