This was Good: The Myth of the American Sleepover

TONIGHT I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO ATTEND THE NEW YORK PREMIERE OF DAVID ROBERT MITCHELL'S SXSW SUCCESS, THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER. SET IN A PURPOSEFULLY NONDESCRIPT TIME PERIOD (THAT ESCAPES THE BRANDING OF ELECTRONICS OR POP MUSIC OR FASHION), A HANDFUL OF TEENAGERS SPEND ONE OF THE LAST NIGHTS OF SUMMER DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST, BEING THEMSELVES.

MITCHELL USES NON-PROFESSIONAL ACTORS/TEENS AND I WAS QUICK TO JUDGE THEIR ACTING AS BAD AND AWKWARD. BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT THEY WERE PERFECT - AND PERHAPS THEY WEREN'T REALLY ACTING AT ALL - BECAUSE THEY WERE EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEEDED TO BE - AWKWARD AND UNSURE AND HEADSTRONG AND NAIVE. PERFECTLY REAL. THE EDITING WAS SUPERB, LOOPING SEAMLESSLY BETWEEN EACH TEEN'S NIGHT.

BUT AGAIN, MORE THAN ANYTHING, I WAS STRUCK BY THE HONESTY OF THE FILM. I WAS FLOODED WITH MEMORIES OF MY EARLY TEENAGE DAYS IN MY RURAL TOWN, WANDERING AROUND IN THE SUMMER NIGHTS LOOKING FOR SOME SORT OF EXCITEMENT. AND I GUESS THAT'S WHY MYTH WORKS, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS FELT THAT. MITCHELL'S WRITING PAINFULLY ENCAPSULATES ADOLESCENT DESIRE THAT'S HEAVILY ACCENTED WITH INSECURITY AND CLUMSINESS. TO AN ADULT AUDIENCE THESE LINES ARE HILARIOUS. UNFORTUNATELY, A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BOY REALLY NEVER SOUNDS SUAVE SAYING "I WANT TO KISS YOU NOW." BUT GOSH, I REMEMBER HOW MUCH I WANTED ONE TO SAY IT TO ME.