The Myth of the American Sleepover

There are four of them. Maggie, a resolute blonde, skips out on the all-girls sleepover in favor of chasing older boys at a party. Taking her place is Claudia, the new girl in town who attracts the attention of her host’s boyfriend. Rob spends the night in search of a siren with whom he becomes infatuated after a chance encounter at the grocery. Scott seeks to dull the pain of getting dumped by spending the night with twins. The Myth of the American Sleepover is set in Detroit, though it could be Anywhere, USA, anytime. Lack of cultural signposts makes this film an impression about a youth that instead of being an appetizer before the main meal of adulthood, becomes the best time of their lives.

Director David Robert Mitchell uses the sleepover antics to tell a story about adolescence and self-discovery. Lacking the fireworks purveyed by teen-slasher films, the emotional ride of dramas or slapstick of teen comedies, Mitchell subtly shepherds his story along, frequently returning through the thicket of the plot to the four main characters – after all, adolescence is a community experience. Individualization is the first step toward adulthood, a process reflected in the film through dual narration weaved from group scenes and intimate portraits. Ever-present water is a symbolic theme in Mitchell’s story, a touchstone for the end of youth and entry into adulthood.

Samuel Nowak