THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER
Written and Directed by: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Clare Sloma, Marlon Morton, Amanda Bauer, Brett Jacobsen, Nikita Ramsey, Jade Ramsey
In a world where kids grow up faster than ever and beg be treated as adults, one film attempts to wax nostalgic about those blissful teenage years. THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER takes us back to that time, and how much difference one night could seem to make in your life.
Not much really happens in this low-key film; just a lot of ponderous yearning. And what else transpires in the formidable teenage years but that?! The characters run the gamut of familiar types from other movies, and life: The guy back from college looking for a hookup; the girl with a crush on the pool lifeguard, but changes her mind; the boy who chases his mystery dream girl around town; the new girl in town who finds out her boyfriend isn’t as righteous as she thought he was.
All of these stories intersect beautifully. Poetic and lovely, nothing rings false in this tale of suburban youth. It takes place in a small Michigan city on one of the last nights of summer before school begins, and Director David Robert Mitchell goes through great lengths to emphasize the story could be happening in Anywhere, USA. There are no adults in the movie, nary a cell phone in sight and with their safe, non-trendy clothing choices, the story could really take place at any time too. Cinematographer James Laxton’s washed out color palette suggests a simpler time imbued with hope and promise, as if their world won’t become vibrant until adulthood. It’s almost like looking back upon faded photographs.
Weaving together multiple storylines over one night seems like an homage to both AMERICAN GRAFITTI and DAZED AND CONFUSED (more so than this summer’s SUPER 8 was). What Director David Robert Mitchell nails is the modern and yet still very traditional mindset of the American teenager. It feels relaxed and uncomplicated. It’s John Hughes minus the Hughesian “cute” speak. While there are no quotable lines per se, it’s about the pure emotion and mood behind those iconic teenage settings of all-night parties on hot summer nights. The most substantial storylines belong to Clare Sloma’s Maggie (the pierced-lip dancing girl) and Amanda Bauer’s Claudia (the new girl in town who rebels at the sleepover).
The film’s cast – comprised mostly of first timers – feel like real kids precisely because of their lack of experience. They all feel like different people, not actors from the same school of teen acting. There are no Disney-channel types here.
This film is a delightful little gem. There is not much in the way of heavy narrative structure – nor should there be – but it’s totally engaging. By the time THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER is through, it leaves you longing and yearning for more.
