There’s something both wonderful and painful when it comes to nostalgia, particularly when you reflect on your teenage years and wondered what they could have been like had you done or changed one thing. You might look back and hate those adolescent years or you might look back with a giant smile, but either way those were the times where you really didn’t have a care in the world except for either trying to fit in, unleashing your sexual urges or possibly even both. Hell, that may have even extended until your final days in college or well past them. It’s this culmination of feelings related to nostalgia that first time writer-director David Robert Mitchell captures in his debut feature, The Myth of the American Sleepover.
It’s the last day of summer in Detroit, Michigan. School is set to start tomorrow and the teenagers in the area still have some unfinished business to take care of. One boy is on a mission to find a girl he locked eyes with in the supermarket, another college senior goes back to try and find the girl(s) who had a crush on him in high school, one girl just moves to town and tries to make some new friends while another one is desperate to do something rebellious and find herself a man. The film follows these teenagers and more as they go on their all-night adventures trying to discover themselves, get questions answered and possibly even find love.
The movie stars practically all newcomers including Claire Sloma, Marlon Morton and Amanda Bauer and, for the most part, the cast does a really good job. Mitchell’s film is all about subtlety and that’s exactly what you get from the on screen performances. The movie feels very quiet which is what I think draws you in further. The characters are never loud, you don’t really hear anyone yell yet they end up all being courageous and very driven despite their quiet nature. While I don’t think they are supposed to be the strong silent types they are all teenagers on a mission and you can’t really stop one once they’ve got their mind focused on something. Additionally, the performances and subtle nature of the film are accompanied by a nice indie score that nests itself comfortably in the background.
When it comes to films of the adolescent type, this one connected to me more than, say, American Graffitti or Dazed & Confused because of the time era difference but, more importantly it feels much more realistic and authentic. Even with the pale color filmmaking reminiscent of every Sundance drama ever, this film will reach out and make people of my generation feel something. It will constantly connect with them because the characters are so simple and easily troubled, the way real teenagers actually are.
While the movie can be funny, there are no real laugh at loud moments, only scenes that offer a chuckle here or a stupid grin there because you know you’re constantly reflecting back on moments you had similar to the teens in this film.
I realize this is a DVD review and normally this is where I would comment on the disc and its features but the only special feature is a trailer, and if you’ve watched the movie already there is really no need to go back and visit a preview of it. If you are interested in getting an idea of what the movie looks like then I’d suggest just searching for it online.
If you want more proof that this movie is worth checking out then here it comes: it was the 2010 SXSW Special Jury Award Winner and an Official Critics Week Selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. If those credentials don’t help its case than not much else really will.
Overall, The Myth of the American Sleepover feels like an authentic tribute to the teenage years of the typical American. It shows how special the ordinary can feel instead of making a ridiculous case for the extraordinary like we see in practically every Hollywood teen comedy or drama. If you’re looking to reminisce about your youth then grab a blanket, snuggle up and enjoy the simple wonders of David Robert Mitchell’s feature film debut.
Movie Rating: An honest and pretty authentic portrayal of American teenage life (7/10)
DVD Rating: (1/10)
The Myth of the American Sleepover will be released by IFC and on February 28, 2012
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