Tiny Furniture
| Tiny Furniture | |
|---|---|
 Promotional film poster | |
| Directed by | Lena Dunham |
| Produced by |
Kylie Martin Alicia Van Couvering Alice Wang |
| Written by | Lena Dunham |
| Starring |
Lena Dunham Laurie Simmons Grace Dunham Jemima Kirke Alex Karpovsky David Call Merritt Wever Amy Seimetz |
| Music by | Teddy Blanks |
| Cinematography | Jody Lee Lipes |
| Edited by | Lance Edmands |
Production company |
Tiny Ponies |
| Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $65,000 |
| Box office | $391,674 |
Tiny Furniture is a 2010 American independent comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Lena Dunham.[1]
It premiered at South by Southwest, where it won Best Narrative Feature,[2] screened at such festivals as Maryland Film Festival, and was released theatrically in the United States on November 12, 2010. Dunham’s own mother, the artist Laurie Simmons, plays Aura’s mother, while her real sister, Grace, plays Aura’s on-screen sibling. The actors Jemima Kirke and Alex Karpovsky would also appear in Dunham's television series Girls.
Plot
Aura returns home from her Midwest liberal arts college to her artist family’s TriBeCa loft with nothing but a film studies degree, a failed relationship and a lack of direction. She takes a job as a hostess at a restaurant and falls into relationships with two self-centered men while struggling to define herself.
The film focuses on the relationship of Aura with her mother, Siri, a successful photographer. Aura reads her mother's teenage journals, perhaps for guidance or inspiration. In the film's final scene, Aura confesses to having read the journals; her mother says she doesn't mind. Aura asks about her mother's many male friends at that time, and her mother responds that she had been experimenting, as Aura is doing now. That moment of understanding contrasts with the conflict between the two for most of the film. The film's title refers to her mother's signature photographic subject, miniature furniture.
The film also focuses on Aura's relationship with her 17-year-old sister Nadine, and Aura's best friend from childhood, Charlotte. All three—Aura, Nadine, and Charlotte—are budding artists, which provides for exploration of their planned paths as well as rivalry between Aura and the other two.
Cast
- Lena Dunham as Aura
- Laurie Simmons as Siri
- Grace Dunham as Nadine
- Jemima Kirke as Charlotte
- Alex Karpovsky as Jed
- David Call as Keith
- Merritt Wever as Frankie
- Amy Seimetz as Ashlynn
- Garland Hunter as Noelle
- Isen Ritchie as Jacob
- Mike S. Ryan as Homeless Man
Production
Filming
The film was shot on the Canon EOS 7D. Filming took place in TriBeCa and Lower Manhattan. The film was shot in November 2009.[3] Dunham says she wrote a "tight script" to which the actors were faithful.[4]
Music
The soundtrack included music by Teddy Blanks of The Gaskets, Domino (Domino Kirke, and Jordan Galland), Rebecca Schiffman and Sonia's Party! & The Everyone's Invited Band.[5] The soundtrack is downloadable for free on the movie website.[6]
Home media
Tiny Furniture was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in 2012 as part of the Criterion Collection.[7]
Reception
The film holds a 78% rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.9/10, based on 93 reviews.
Awards
Lena Dunham won for Best First Screenplay at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards.[8]
References
- ↑ Dargis, Manohla (November 11, 2010). "Girl Undefined: Post-College but Pre-Real World". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ↑ Renninger, Bryce J. (March 17, 2010). "SXSWdaily: "Tiny Furniture," "Marwencol," and More Winners on the Web". IndieWIRE. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ↑ Carr, David (March 19, 2010). "Young Filmmaker’s Search for Her Worth Is Rewarded". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ↑ Piotrowski, Angeline (July 29, 2010). "Traverse City Film Festival: Tiny Furniture Sweet Talks Traverse City". MyNorth. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ↑ "Official website soundtrack and credits" (Zip). Tinyfurniture.com. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
- ↑ "A Film By Lena Dunham". Tiny Furniture. 1985-04-26. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
- ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (April 5, 2011). "Lena Dunham’s ‘Tiny Furniture’ Headed To The Criterion Collection In 2012". IndieWIRE: The Playlist. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ↑ "26th Independent Spirit Awards Winners - 'Black Swan' Gets Four!". Firstshowing.net title=firstshowing. Retrieved June 29, 2011.