Sleepover (2004)
Review by ScottC
Film:
DVD:

Written by Elisa Bell
Directed by Joe Nussbaum
Starring Alexa Vega, Mika Boorem, Scout Taylor-Compton, Kallie Flynn Childress, Sara Paxton

Features:

• Running audio commentary by director Nussbaum and cast
  
• Featurettes: "A Guide to the Perfect Sleepover," "Ready, Set, Action," and "Sleepover Confessions"
  
• "The Lost Tape": additional footage of the character Andy (Bruce Bohne)
  
• Actress profiles
  
• Behind the scenes photo gallery
  
• Gag reel
  

Released by: MGM.
Rating: PG
Region: 1
Anamorphic: Yes.

My Advice: Avoid It. Especially if you have pre-teen girls.

High school is on the horizon for young Julie (Vega). Is she concerned with achieving academically and extracurricular activities? Of course not, silly! Her big goal is to sit at the school fountain, the lunch spot. However Stacie (Paxton), who has blonde hair, a high school boyfriend, and a vicious hateful attitude has all the marks of a popular girl and claims the spot as hers. Stacie issues a challenge to Julie and her friends for this prize, a scavenger hunt with items like having a drink with a guy met on the Internet to stealing the boxers of skater hottie Steve (Sean Faris). Forget dignity, common sense, and the law, this will be the best Sleepover ever.

The people who made this movie should be ashamed of themselves. It’s not that this movie is just bad, though it is. But the sins it commits are legion. The sheer stupidity of the characters is breathtaking. When a teacher finds that his Internet date is actually one of his students and her friend has a camera, does he run away screaming "I didn’t know! I didn’t know!” No, he has a conversation and poses for a picture with them for this scavenger hunt. What teacher in his right mind would risk getting fired and possible criminal prosecution? And of course, the father, as all adults are in movies like this, is completely oblivious to his daughter and her friends being out all night. I know some parents can be a bit clueless, but this dad is too dense to be believable.

But that's par for the course. All the characters tend to be unbelievable. Stacie is a cruel bitch for no good reason, a one-dimensional caricature. Julie’s crew amounts to Best Friend, Other Friend, and Fat Girl. The Fat Girl’s body problems are miraculously fixed by simplistic advice and the attention of a guy she just meets. That isn’t just bad writing, it’s condescending to people who suffer with weight problems.

In fact the whole plot belittles girls everywhere. I was amazed to see a woman wrote the script for this travesty. I believe the only reason this movie was made is to train future trophy wives for middle-aged oversexed studio executives. The girls look at the summer reading list with disdain, showing that girls shouldn’t be interested in academics looking, but be obsessed with social standing. Stacie and Julie are both interested in older men (although they’re only a couple of years older--it’s not that kind of movie). In fact, when Stacie dances with a boy her age, enjoys the experience, and even wins a trophy; she doesn’t even consider the boy worthy boyfriend material. This demonstrates that girls should be more accepting of age disparities.

Julie seals her relationship with her guy with a kiss, but Stacie loses hers by not putting out. So girls should be sexual available to older men and having a man will make your life perfect. And Julie, the newcomer, usurps the reigning Stacie. And what else does a trophy wife do but take over the first wife’s position. You see what I mean? This movie is a disgrace. Hopefully Alexa Vega will choose better projects in the future. Even in this drek, she manages to show the talent and that certain spark you saw in the Spy Kids movies. She could blossom into a good actress if she avoids being typecast in the Tween Girl mold.

The extras while plentiful are sparse on quality. All the featurettes amount to commercial fluff. There is no insight or analysis of the movie. Since the movie itself is the level of cotton candy, this is to be expected. The blooper reel and the photo gallery don’t help either. The commentary is sub par since the girls of the cast are constantly giggling or sighing uncontrollably. It concerns me that they are as flighty and silly as they seem in the movie. The director barely tries to get them onto task but he never adds anything substantive anyway. The disc is a waste of time and may be damaging to your children’s mental development. Avoid Sleepover at all costs!