Plot
Directed by Joe Nussbaum, Sleepover revolves around one of the hallmarks of female friendship: the all-important slumber party. In hopes of shedding their not-so-cool reputations during the summer before their freshman year, best friends Julie (Alexa Vega), Hannah (Mika Boorem), Yancy (Kalli Flynn Childress), and Farrah (Scout Taylor-Compton) decide to host the sleepover of their lives. Far from a mere pillow-fight-laden girl talk-fest, this sleepover includes an intense scavenger hunt against the most simultaneously loathed and envied young women they know: the infamous "popular" clique. Along the way, the girls manage to hijack a car, sneak into clubs, engage in a first kiss, and learn more than a little bit about themselves and their capabilities -- all while evading the watchful eyes of Julie's mother. ~ Tracie Cooper, RoviReview
The characters in Joe Nussbaum's Sleepover walk the same fine line that tween entertainment in general must walk: They're young enough to still see a sleepover as an exciting social event, yet old enough that they're enticed out into the world rather than engaging in normal slumber-party activities. Put another way, it's debatable whether girls who haven't started high school should be logical romantic partners for boys who drive cars, but the reality is, they're interested in such boys anyway. Sleepover combines wholesomeness (the girls drink soda) with dangerousness (the girls sneak into a night club) in ways that should be interesting enough for the target audience, without worrying the parents of that audience too much. But is it any good? Not really, if you're outside the intended demographic -- though older audiences may take interest in some of the featured players, particularly Steve Carell, Jane Lynch and Jeff Garlin. "Take interest" is different from "like." When Sleepover was made, Carell had not yet filmed his first episode of The Office, and playing a bumbling, mustachioed rent-a-cop -- the girls' primary nemesis -- probably seemed like a good enough role at the time. Instead, his every appearance reduces the movie to utter slapstick silliness -- though to be fair, it's a short trip. Among the younger actors, Alexa Vega, Mika Boorem and Kallie Flynn Childress show enough charisma to keep us interested in the appropriately frivolous pursuits of the teenagers, which include skateboarding, a school dance, and the desire to get the lunch spot by the fountain (rather than the one by the dumpsters). There's something undoubtedly square about Sleepover; for example, the girls listen to The Spice Girls a good five years after they were popular. For the parents of these rapidly maturing viewers, though, a little squareness is probably a good thing. ~ Derek Armstrong, RoviCast
- Alexa Vega - Julie
- Mika Boorem - Hannah
- Scout Taylor-Compton - Farrah
- Kalli Flynn Childress - Yancy
- Sam Huntington - Ren
Credit
Drew Boughton - Art Director, Mary Gail Artz - Casting, Barbara Cohen - Casting, Lynda Halligan - Casting, Pamela Withers Chilton - Costume Designer, James Giovannetti, Jr. - First Assistant Director, Joe Nussbaum - Director, Craig Herring - Editor, Jeremiah Samuels - Executive Producer, Deborah Lurie - Composer (Music Score), Elliot Lurie - Musical Direction/Supervision, Stephen McCabe - Production Designer, James L. Carter - Cinematographer, Charles Weinstock - Producer, Bob Cooper - Producer, Felipe Borrero - Sound/Sound Designer, Elisa Bell - Screenwriter, Teresa Visinare - Set Decorator| Sleepover (2000 Film), Sleepless in Seattle (1993 Film) | |
| Sleepover Nightmare (2004 Film), Sleeps Six (1984 Film) |
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