The Myth of the American Sleepover

David Robert Mitchell makes a compelling feature debut with The Myth of the American Sleepover. Shot in suburban Michigan with a low budget and a cast of mostly first-time actors, the movie follows a group of characters over the course of an eventful summer night. Maggie (Claire Sloma) is a freshman, dragging her nerdy best friend around town in pursuit of older boys. Rob (Marlon Morton), also a freshman, is determined to track down the pretty blond he saw at the local supermarket. Claudia (Amanda Bauer), the new girl in town, attends a slumber party and discovers an unpleasant truth about her hostess. Scott (Brett Jacobsen) has returned home from college brokenhearted, and, desperate for reassurance, tracks down attractive twins he knew in high school when he hears one of them had a crush on him. The film is gorgeously shot, capturing the sweet languor of hot nights, while Mitchell's script and his cast adequately portray the hormone-driven tension of the last days of summer. The time period is frustratingly (intentionally) vague, and there's a kind of torpor to most of these characters, many of whom are oddly affectless—a bit too cool for school. Sloma's expressiveness and energy, and Jacobsen's dorky sincerity make them standouts. While filled with "inappropriate" behavior, Myth is a refreshingly sweet, good-natured slice of adolescent life. In its quietude, it's a nice alternative to the typical summer blockbuster.