The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2011)

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domino harvey
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The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2011)

#1 Post by domino harvey » Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:12 pm

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We've long needed a film that captures youth not simplified through remembrance, nor aggrandized from within, but with a vibrant normalcy of how it is. Here's a "night in the life" teen film that isn't filled with larger than life characters or big performances or particularly witty dialog (though there is some good humor involved), but presents merely a snapshot of an era. It's not exactly a period film, but it is undoubtedly at least a decade removed from modern-day, as evidenced by the tube TVs and the lack of cell phones and computers. It's a suburban world where most of the people you know go to your school and live walking distance from each other and run into each other almost at random. This is notably a film that has no speaking parts for adults, though they are not wholly absent (see the grocery store scene that starts one of the plot threads into motion, complete with the all too familiar PA conclusion)-- it's not that they're ineffectual, they just aren't at the forefront of anything happening late at night on a holiday weekend when you're out with your friends.

That I was the age of these characters during this era undoubtedly colored some of my positive reaction, but there are so many things David Robert Mitchell's film gets right in a larger, more general sense with regards to being a teenager that I have to stop myself from just listing everything in the movie as a highlight. In brief, some of the moments that have seared into my mind already include:
  • --> The track runner who discovers her sleepover hostess had sex with her boyfriend and enacts a successful two-part revenge that, in true to life accuracy, has no second part and no recourse after being caught. The immediacy of emotions here and elsewhere are shown in full, unapologetic bloom.

    --> The lovelorn braggart who musters just enough confidence to enter into a precarious sexually-charged encounter with his friend's sister, but lacks the wherewithal to do anything with the opportunity. "Better to ask forgiveness than permission," &c

    --> The coded gay best friend who politely declines a cute girl's offer to "sit with her" at a make-out spot because he already has a girlfriend, capping the encounter with a regretful wish that she does indeed find someone. It's as explicit as his orientation gets, but it's enough and it reminds the viewer that for as progressive as the teen world seems today, many youths then and now still operate under covert behavior.

    --> The pixie-haired flirt who winks at the boys but is still much younger than she tries to be, as shown by her nearly catastrophic pliancy to the will of males around her.
    SpoilerShow
    Her ultimate refusal on the water slide to kiss her companion then becomes maybe the biggest personal victory of the night for any character, for her climax isn't whether she does or doesn't get the guy, it's that she realizes she's the one who has the say.
I could go on and on, and given any opportunity I just may do so.

Be warned that the trailer for this one is deceptive and makes the film look far more amateurish and awkward than it is. Mumblecore this is not. The dialog is accurate and well-tuned, but unlikely to be the result of improvisation on the parts of the non-professional actors which populate the film. The acting isn't powerhouse or functional but lived in and accurate. Beyond the strength of the characters and the way their stories intertwine, one of the film's most apparent virtues is its calm, gorgeous cinematography-- generally restrained, but willing to explode with an occasional striking vantage (the extremely close profile shot of the track runner with the shooting star cascading past her face is particularly lovely). It's a shame this won't ever make it to Blu-ray, but it can at least be enjoyed in HD now via IFC's On Demand.

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tarpilot
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell, 2011)

#2 Post by tarpilot » Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:01 am

Any word on this hitting Netflix streaming anytime soon? Our selection in Canada is comparatively sparse, but we, uh, got Uncle Kent pretty quickly...

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Professor Wagstaff
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell, 2011)

#3 Post by Professor Wagstaff » Sun Sep 25, 2011 12:47 am

I caught this one On Demand last night and I had to watch it again this morning because I loved it so much. There are no large dramatic stakes, but the quiet, understated performances remind us that when your high school age, every event that happens in your life can feel like the most important thing that will happen to you. It shows in the incoming freshman who desperately searches for any pretty girl willing to kiss him or, as Domino's referenced, the track star who enacts revenge on another girl when given the opportunity, only to be indifferent once it's all said and done because deep down she seems to know that her boyfriend wasn't all that worth it anyway. The pixie haired girl, who seems to have skipped her teens right for adulthood, ends up having the most fulfilling resolution
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because the refusal to kiss on the water slide is in many ways her way of not rushing off to grow up as the lifeguard boy suggested in an early scene. "It's not like everything has to happen tonight," she tells him, letting him go off in front of her down the slide. She stops to look at her hand a moment, folding it back and forth, like she's remembering back when holding hands was more than enough for grown up romantic possibilty.

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell, 2011)

#4 Post by inneyp » Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:51 am

I agree with much of what's been said, in that certain strokes of this film are very authentic. One thing that didn't at all ring true to youth for me, or even reality in general, was the non-existence of rejection. There were at least a couple instances in this film (one major) where a character's attraction (or reaction) to another character seemed utterly implausible.
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The major instance being the twins warming up to the brother even after discovering the picture. They were initially weirded out, but were then quickly and unconvincingly pacified.
And an example of something minor that irritated me:
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The make out "cave" and its strangely abundant supply of pretty girls looking to hook up with any guy who walks in.

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Foam
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell, 2011)

#5 Post by Foam » Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:28 am

Thanks for bringing this film to my attention. It is awesome. My only quibble with domino's post is that the trailer is awesome as well (but then I like a lot of mumblecore films).
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Question: supermarket girl has the names and numbers of other boys written on her arm, correct?

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domino harvey
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell, 2011)

#6 Post by domino harvey » Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:18 am

Correct. And it does my heart good to finally see people seeking this great film out-- it's still available via OnDemand, folks

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell, 2011)

#7 Post by Professor Wagstaff » Tue Nov 22, 2011 3:03 am

Showtime and The Movie Channel will start airing this on their various stations starting Wednesday. A good time to play catch-up for those with a long Thanksgiving weekend.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#8 Post by domino harvey » Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:05 pm

Comes to DVD via MPI Feb 28. No Blu-ray, unfortunately

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#9 Post by Jean-Luc Garbo » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:16 pm

Now on Netflix Instant!

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#10 Post by Jean-Luc Garbo » Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:00 am

This movie is utter perfection. Pacing and tone, acting, and shooting make the entire story entertaining and endearing. The aesthetic style is totally up my alley, but beneath those images and hiding in those eyes are incredibly relatable emotions. I was drawn in by the silences, longings, and guarded feelings of every character. Great respect and honesty is communicated in every acting choice and direction. I still can't believe the degree to which every character was treated with sympathy and dignity. This movie, for me, was a dream come true. This is the cinema for which I longed (and prepared myself for when I dreamt of making movies) when I decided to study adolescence in cinema. The 2.35 frame, the exact timing of shots, the perfect blend of pause to conceal (but failing to conceal) embarrassing emotion, and the understated nature of the acting and shooting put a spell on me. I was drawn in quickly by the supermarket scene.
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He stooped down to smell the bottle of shampoo that she had also handled and smelled - "would that be the closest he ever came to smelling her hair?" I thought to myself, knowing that I felt that same longing when I was a teen.
All of that restrained emotion handled and communicated with no pretension to greater insight other than what we felt and saw ourselves at that age. This is such a beautiful film with a solid commitment to depict with care the emotions of these characters as real teens. I say it again: I think it was perfect.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#11 Post by domino harvey » Sat Feb 25, 2012 2:13 pm

Just a reminder that the DVD comes out on Tuesday-- hopefully more of our members will now be able to give this very special and worthy film a viewing

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#12 Post by Jean-Luc Garbo » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:11 pm

It's still streaming on Netflix, too.

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#13 Post by D50 » Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:18 am

It Follows led me to see this, and it did not disappoint. I especially enjoyed the scenes with the brother and twins, trying to figure out which one it was, which is revealed anyway. You kind of know anyway with the camera work and their looks. Interestingly, a region 1 dvd is much cheaper shipped on Amazon UK than .com to the states.
domino harvey wrote:--> The lovelorn braggart who musters just enough confidence to enter into a precarious sexually-charged encounter with his friend's sister, but lacks the wherewithal to do anything with the opportunity. "Better to ask forgiveness than permission," &c
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After the twins not working out, you do see her toe ringed foot sticking out of the jeep with the brother.

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#14 Post by AnamorphicWidescreen » Tue May 12, 2015 12:35 am

Just saw The Myth of the American Sleepover for the first time. This was an extremely well-done coming of age film, and brought back a lot of memories of being young. Very honest & unsentimental portrayal.

In doing research on the film, I wondered which decade it was supposed to take place. I initially was thinking the early '90's - since there were no cell phones or Internet in evidence. However, the scene when the kids were watching that "slasher" film on the small, old Cathode Ray Tube TV set made me think it was set in the '80's (though not many of the kids had '80's hair....)

In any case, it was set during a simpler time. These days, every time I see young people - or adults for that matter - their faces are buried in their I-phones.
Last edited by AnamorphicWidescreen on Sat Jun 06, 2015 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#15 Post by domino harvey » Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:22 pm

This has made it to Blu-ray as a bonus feature on the French release of It Follows. It'd be great if someone could confirm whether the subs are removable

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#16 Post by gorgeousnothings » Fri Jun 05, 2015 2:29 pm

AnamorphicWidescreen wrote:In doing research on the film, I wondered which decade it was supposed to take place. I initially was thinking the early '90's - since there were no cell phones or Internet in evidence. However, the scene when the kids were watching that "slasher" film on the small, old Cathode Ray Tube TV set made me think it was set in the '80's (though not many of the kids had '80's hair....)
This is a quirk of Mitchell's in that he never makes it easy to lock down the time period/setting. He makes it just as confusing in It Follows, where there are some cell phones (flip phones, mostly), no real computers, big tube televisions, a synth-heavy soundtrack reminiscent of John Carpenter, and a flip seashell e-reader invented just for the movie. In that movie it all works pretty effectively in muddling the specifics, and it makes the story seem all the more like an urban legend being told over a campfire, one that either happened 15 years ago or last year or 30 years ago.

I think here it's trying to add to the "Myth" of it all, making it seem more like a universal story about teenagers that is not locked down by time and is not trying to make a commentary about a specific generation of kids. I just watched this movie this morning and I really enjoyed it. I remember being a teen struggling with the "myth" of it all too, and I was asking myself "am I doing what a teenager is supposed to be doing?" It was nice to see that reflected onscreen by the pool boy, whose attitude seemed to be "screw that," though I think as a whole the movie just ended up romanticizing teenage life anyways.

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#17 Post by kidc85 » Fri Jun 05, 2015 4:52 pm


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domino harvey
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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2

#18 Post by domino harvey » Fri Jun 05, 2015 5:40 pm

Awesome (though confirmation comes on Page 3, not the linked Page 2)-- so glad we're getting this great film in hi-def without forced subs!

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2011)

#19 Post by therewillbeblus » Thu Jul 30, 2020 12:50 am

After taking in more of the genuine social dynamics on a first watch, revisiting this I was stirred by the isolated experiences of observation. Rarely has a film shown the process of 'watching' - taking in all visual information with a congested array of eagerness, desire, loneliness, anxiety, and uncontrollable movement toward a human attraction, without stylistic flair to distract from the honesty of such experiences. Mitchell doesn't slow down these detailed scans in slow-mo, but instead confidently gazes at what feel to be all the 'real' gestures I've ever witnessed or made, in real time. I love how the boy finds the grungy yellow socks of the hot older sister (Amy Seimetz) just as fascinating as more traditionally sexualized characteristics. The way boys and girls drink from a bottle, accidentally spill a few drops of juice, smile on the phone or from a distance in a conversation, look away bashfully and play with their fingers, sit silently and still with someone you want to kiss where time lasts forever, or even acknowledging a wound on a friend's body to demonstrate care for a part of us we're ignoring, all form enigmatic quirks that make them entirely unique, even in the backdrop of their similitude in social development.

This film brought me back to those formative years when I observed people in detail, dreamed in real life, and got to live those dreams on special nights like the one depicted in this movie (before self-actualization begins- a blessing and curse in one- that exacerbates a desensitization to those details, which became less important or novel as life goes on). The events here may be comprised of banal exposition compared to a typical 'one-crazy-night' scenario, but those films don't actually trigger real nostalgia- in fact, they're safer because they're fantasy, not a capsule of authentic reflection. I don't think I've been reminded quite so intensely (conversely through very subtle means) of how perceptively hypervigilant we are in these curious days, and how beautiful it is in hindsight to be figuring yourself and other people out, and basking in the mystery of the development you don't quite understand, or the object of your affections that you may never 'know' in the reciprocal passion you imagine. But how wonderful to go back in time to memories of active dreaming that fed on pleasure from possibility and awe, a whole lifetime of experience ahead and for the taking in the now, and not the kind of bombastic actions that make a good story for others- the kind that contribute to the story of your life, that are yours alone.
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When the boy notices the numbers on the girl's arm and leaves I was shaken with empathy for the adolescent who just wants to be special to someone, and how much that means when you're 15, to be validated and occupy the mind of another, for your identity and not because you happen to be in the room. It's a powerful reminder not to get away from that recognition of self-worth, settle or compromise against yourself in later life, and to hold on to that value in whatever form it currently takes.

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Re: The Myth of the American Sleepover (David R. Mitchell, 2011)

#20 Post by Michael Kerpan » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:14 am

In this, the 50th anniversary of the start of my high school years (reunion postponed, at least), I've been watching lots of Japanese anime about high school life (some of which is not all that far from my long-ago experiences in a Tulsa Catholic high school -- at least in the more low-key series).

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