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Directed By
Joe Nussbaum
Cast:
Alexa Vega, Mika Boorem, Sam Huntington, Jane Lynch, Sara Paxton, Jeff Garlin, Summer Glau, Steve Carell, Scout Taylor-Compton, Kallie Flynn Childress, Jane Lynch, Eileen April Boylan
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Sleepover (2004)
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Movie Review by Tony
April 7th, 2006
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"Sleepover" is a film that is so bad I think I lost a few brain cells after viewing. My eyes popped out of my head in sheer and utter shock as I watched everything that could possibly go wrong unfold before my very eyes. As I took this film in, I counted the number of things that went wrong, they did wrong, and that misfired. It's a pretty hefty list. I'll try to rally of as many as I can over the course of this film review.
"Sleepover" is set in high school movie world. A very familiar and simple world. Where the high school is ruled by a mean blond girl (Sara Paxton) with an army of other mean girls who walk fast, look cool, and rule the school. She of course is dating the hunky guy (Sean Farris). He's most likely a football star and she's most likely a cheerleader. Then you have your group of smart, but unpopular wall flowers. They admire the hunk from a distance and hope and pray that maybe one day he will look at her. This group of wall flowers includes Julie (Alexa Vega), Hannah (Mika Boorem), Farrah (Scout Taylor-Compton), and Yancy (Kallie Flynn Childress).
The first and main problem of the film is the unpopular wall flowers are just as mean as the mean girls if not meaner. Julie is b*tchy, whiny, and often talks back to her parents and throws hissy fits. Hannah is outspoken and a know it all. Farrah is dumb, ditsy, and clue less. Yancy is nice, but gets subtle and mean digs thrown at her thrown out for the film for being overweight. At one point, Hannah tells her, she should only date fat guys. So there is no one to really root for or get behind in this film or care about.
As the film opens Julie and Hannah are talking and Hannah is moving away for no reason explained except to shake up the plot. Julie is upset since she is entering high school without her best friend. They decide to end 8th grade on a high note and have, you guessed it, a sleepover. They invite along mean girl Staci, but she is attending a cool high school dance with her cool high school boyfriend. Replacing her is Yancy. The way Julie invites Stacy and looks down at her is insulting, and downright cruel. Along for this sleepover is their friend Farrah.
At this sleepover there is no jiffy pop popcorn, no painting toe nails, or calling any boys. They set out on a mission to complete an all night scavenger hunt full of neat little things to get and do. Most of them include things that are against the law. Such as breaking and entering to get a high school boys boxers. Going to a night club with drinks. Stealing from a cop car. Sneaking out of the house. So not only are these girls mean, they are felons. They must complete this mission before the mean girls do. What's up for stakes you ask? A chance to sit at the cool table. Losers sit by the dumpsters.
Don't girls have anything better to do then this? Can't they be having intelligent conversations about life, love, and family? Can't they be doing something good? Are there lives so shallow, pointless, and meaningless that their whole life revolves around a lunch table spot and cute boy? The way this film encourages status, good looks, and shallowness and sneers it's ugly head at individuality, compassion, and kindness is morally questionable and sickening.
Steve Carell in MGM's Sleepover
The parents in this film who are really good actors Jeff Garlin and Jane Lynch are portrayed as oblivious, simple and stupid. Jeff Garlin spends the whole film installing new water. The brother character is just used and abused. Steve Carell is used to be a punching bag who never gets to punch back. This portrayal of idiotic parents is just not right. The way this film is written with such haste, it makes me wonder how this film ever got into theaters in the first place at all.
Sam Huntington and Jeff Garlin in MGM's Sleepover
This film has no intention of being different. It all ends up at the big dance. If I was in a movie, I would not exist, since I never went to dances. But in high school movies, the dances are the be all, and end of all of their existence. If you are not at the dance, well, then what is the point of living? None. What are the odds of Julie and Steve kissing? Very likely I would say.
"Sleepover" is not only stupid, predictable and lame. It's also a very nasty morally questionable film that sends a lot of wrong messages and notes. This is the kind of film you watch and you just wanna cry. Not an emotional crying, but crying at how bad it is.
-Tony Farinella
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