The Sleepy Time Gal

Just saw this film at the Vancouver International Film Festival. I was barely able to stay awake through the long tedious thing.

The shame of it all is that this film could have been great. The plot of a woman wanting to search for the daughter she gave away while the daughter is searching for her could have been very interesting. Instead, this is an "almost but not quite" film.

The acting was good but that's not enough. Some of the audience walked out. Nobody applauded when it was over. I didn't hear anyone talking about the film as they were leaving.

Sad. The Sleepy Time Gal could have been great.

I want my hour and a half back. Frankly, I think Frances had a pretty good life considering how little effort she put into it. Aging college dropout drifts between relationships while having kids she doesn't provide for. I got the feeling she's too dumb to make anything of herself and too proud to wait tables.

It's hard to tell, though, what with the jumbled up way the story was presented.

How about that "stop the car, kiss, and then start driving again" thing with Frances and Bob? What's with that? I expected it to go somewhere, but it just fizzled.

And what's with the completely gratuitous Jimmy Dupree hook? I couldn't figure out if it's "I did yo mama, and now I'm gonna do you, too" or "Look, we must be sophisticated cause we're showing interracial relationships".

I agree, this could have been a nice little film, but it looks like someone dropped the ball.

The Sleepy Time Gal is one of the finest American independent films in recent memory, featuring superb performances and a refreshing plotline. While it was regrettably underseen theatrically, Jacqueline Bisset delivers her finest performance to date as a mother searching for meaning in lost loves and missed chances. Nick Stahl's rendition of her photographer son is pleasantly nuanced and complex, while Martha Plimpton, always a joy to watch, shows unusual vulnerability in her role as the long-lost daughter. Supporting cast Frankie Faison, Seymour Cassel and Peggy Gormley are also superb. A must-see for those who value thoughtful character-driven filmmaking not aimed at the 12-year-old demographic.

"The Sleep Time Gal" is a the top of the heap in the little indie bone yard; that place, just around the corner from cable television and next door to standard broadcast, where the many failed hopes and dreams of independent film makers go after they die in the marketplace. A near miss with many good qualities, the film is a meandering, plaintive reflection by a dying woman (Bisset) without a story of sufficient consequence to make one want to sit through it. The film starts well and then unravels, opening issues it can't close, showing us stuff we couldn't care less about like the mushroom thing, and generally boring the thumb toward to fast forward button. A misfire with lost potential and obvious talent behind it, "TSTG" should RIP. (C-)

A moving study of character and relationships: 9 stars

The Sleepy Time Gal is a character study about life and life's ending. It centers on Frances (Jacqueline Bisset), a writer and former DJ who is dying of cancer. She is seeking to clarify and perhaps gain closure on several relationships in her life, primarily with her son (played by Nick Stahl) and Bob, a former lover. A parallel story tracks the daughter, Rebecca (played by Martha Plimpton) whom Francis gave up for adoption at birth, and Rebecca's search for her birth mother.

The Sleepy Time Gal features excellent performances (especially by Bisset) and very strong writing and direction by Christopher Munch. While some might be put-off by the movie's relative lack of strict linear story-telling (that may make scenes seem disconnected), I found that the narrative style contributed positively to the movie's impact. For me, a person's life is a complex tapestry of events and relationships, not a tidy story.

I give The Sleepy Time Gal a solid 9 out of 10 stars and recommend it highly. I'd further recommend getting the DVD version and watching the deleted scenes after watching the movie. That's what I did, and I feel that it provided further insights about the characters and actions.

This is a movie devoid of zippy special effects and whiz-bang action sequences. However, if you want interesting, realistic characters and can tolerate a little ambiguity, The Sleepy Time Gal should meet with your approval.