The Sleepy Time Gal

I can't help thinking that this film thought it was a much better film than it actually was. I just couldn't connect with it. It came off as pretentious. I also couldn't help but notice a heavy stylistic influence from Woody Allen of all people here (editing and music style, but done clumsily) which didn't fit at all. Also, what was with the Spanish guitar music? This whole film just seemed incoherent. The acting didn't work - little really worked right in this film. Maybe I missed the point because I was too asleep to follow it. I found it even difficult to enjoy the San Francisco scenery. This movie was just work to watch.

=by the way, what's so beautiful about Jacqueline Bisset? Anyone else notice that every time she said the word "idea" it came out as "IDEAR"? - very annoying.

This director is going nowhere.

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.

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.

This is another example of a film that will stay with you.

I am not going to go into a lengthy review here; why? A couple of other reviewers did so very well with their comments. Let me say simply that I found the film to be an interesting 'study' of relationships. I call it a study because is is a film that asks the viewer to listen carefully, and to think. I echo another reviewer in saying that the death scene is very realistic. (So many films make it so sparkling, they almost make death appealing). It was part of what made this film so good; I was amazed at how saddened and disturbed I became in watching Frances' last days.

"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-)