Parents' Guide to Radium Girls

With the words "teen" and "activist" becoming increasingly synonymous, this historical drama is incredibly relevant and feels made to appeal to and encourage today's passionate youths. News stories about young U.S. female factory workers' legal battle against the rich, powerful heads of United States Radium Corporation (renamed "American Radium" in the film) have been largely forgotten, but the tale is worth remembering lest it repeat itself. Young women who were hired to paint glow-in-the-dark marks on time pieces using radioactive paint were instructed to create a fine point by putting the tips of their just-dipped brushes in their mouth. We now know that radium can cause debilitating health conditions, but it's sobering to be reminded that, at the time Radium Girls takes place, the substance was being hawked as a health elixir and put in beauty products and makeup to help create a "glow" in users. Teens may be able to make the connection: Which current "safe" or "healthy" products might later be shown to actually cause harm?

The movie's historical perspective is bolstered by vintage footage from the time -- including film snippets of movie star Rudolph Valentino and other cultural moments, as well as news reel clips of political marches for equality and unity. The protests involve issues that are still unresolved -- and still drawing people to the streets -- a century later (yes, they had signs reading "abolish the police" in the 1920s). While the movie's script isn't exactly groundbreaking, it's certainly effective. And, it should be noted, the outdoor cinematography is indeed radiant. Most importantly, 17-year-old Bessie's path to activism may encourage young viewers that justice can be achieved, that regular people can take down a giant via teamwork. That's a message we can't get enough of these days.