The Sleepy Time Gal

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.