The Slumber Party

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This article is about the television film. For the social occasion, see sleepover. For other uses, see Slumber Party.
The Slumber Party
Promotional poster
Genre
Based onThe Sleepover by Jen Malone
Written by
  • Eydie Faye
Directed byVeronica Rodriguez
Starring
Music byJoseph Shirley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMatthew Spiegel
EditorJesse Gordon
Running time82 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
ReleaseJuly 27, 2023 (2023-07-27)

The Slumber Party is an American coming-of-age comedy television film directed by Veronica Rodriguez. The film stars Darby Camp, Emmy Liu-Wang, Alex Cooper Cohen, Valentina Herrera, Dallas Liu, and Ramon Rodriguez.[2] It premiered on July 27, 2023, on Disney Channel.[3][4] It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Megan is a 14-year-old girl who is afraid of trying new things. She hangs out with her confident friend Paige and birthday girl Anna Maria, the latter of whom is going through family troubles involving her divorced parents and soon-to-be step-siblings including Veronica, a goofy and overconfident girl. The four girls decide to have a sleepover at Anna Maria's house to celebrate the day before her birthday, which just so happens to also be the day of her father's wedding, something that irritates her, especially when he insists on taking her hiking. Anna Maria's younger sister Penny wants to join the others, but they kick her out. For the night, Veronica invites Mesmer, a hypnotist, who in actuality is a desperate actor. With nothing better to do, the girls agree to have him hypnotize them.

The next morning, Megan wakes up to discover that her left eyebrow has been shaven off and she is wearing the hoodie that belongs to her crush Jake Ramirez, whose house has been TPd. There are baby ducks in the bathtub, Veronica's clothes are on backwards and she is wearing long fingernails, and Paige has literal blood on her hands. Anna Maria is missing and Penny appears to be somewhat ignorant as to what happened as well. Not wanting to let Anna Maria's mother know that they cannot find her, they decide to go looking themselves. Believing that the ducks came from school, the girls hire Paige's older brother Mikey to help sneak them in. Upon returning the ducks, save for one, they find Anna Maria's shoe. The group escape the Principal and drive out to discover that the shoe has paint on it matching the school colors of their rival Hillside.

Mikey drops the girls off at Hillside where they are confronted by the marching band who demand the return of their mascot float Hedgie, showing them video footage of the girls stealing it. They promise to give them back something of theirs if they return it. The girls cannot remember where the float is, but Veronica figures out that Mesmer is working at the Onion Festival. The girls sneak in to try and see him, but end up in the middle of an onion eating contest with Veronica winning, and lose Mesmer. With no other option, the girls go to see Jake who reveals that he has Hedgie in his garage. The girls and Jake ride the float down the street and deliver it to the marching band who reveal that they simply had Megan's outdated phone.

Jake reveals that Penny was the one who filmed their escapades and Paige and Veronica go and torture her dolls to get the truth, while Megan and Jake admit their feelings for each other. Penny admits that Anna Maria left a note for them, but she took it out of spite. The note reveals that Anna Maria went hiking on her own without her dad and the girls find her asleep on a bench with tampons up her bloody nose. Anna Maria admits that she is afraid of change and her expanding family, but the girls comfort her and get her ready for the wedding. Anna Maria makes peace with her family, as Veronica reveals that she is seeing Mikey, much to Paige's chagrin. As the girls privately celebrate Anna Maria's birthday, they run into Mesmer again who gives them trigger word to reawaken their memories, "Freshman". The girls suddenly remember everything that happened last night.

The credits reveal that Paige accidentally hit Anna Maria in the nose, explaining the blood, and that Jake was present when his house was TPd, bonding with Megan right away.

Cast

  • Darby Camp as Megan Brookman,[5] a 14-year-old girl who is afraid of trying new things.
  • Emmy Liu-Wang as Paige,[5] Megan's best friend who is fearless and loyal.
  • Alex Cooper Cohen as Veronica,[5] Anna Maria's overconfident soon-to-be stepsister.
  • Valentina Herrera as Anna Maria Guerrero,[5] one of Megan's best friends who is struggling with her parents' divorce while celebrating her birthday.
  • Dallas Liu as Mikey,[6] Paige's older brother.
  • Ramon Jose Rodriguez as Jake Ramirez,[6] Megan's crush whom she obtains a hoodie from.
  • Caroline Valencia as Penny Guerrero,[1] Anna Maria's younger sister.
  • Tituss Burgess as Mesmer,[7] a hypnotist who is actually a desperate actor.
  • Paula Pell as Principal Petersen,[7] the principal of West Oak High School.

Production

On September 27, 2022, it was announced that Disney Branded Television had begun production on a film titled The Slumber Party, based on the book The Sleepover by Jen Malone. Filming began that same day Atlanta, Georgia.[8]

Veronica Rodriguez was set to direct the film, with Eydie Faye set to write the screenplay.[9] Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Stephanie Sperber, Jennilee Cummings, Jake Fuller, Tony Hernandez, and John Hodges were set to serve as executive producers.[10]

On June 7, 2023, Tituss Burgess and Paula Pell joined the cast of the film as Mesmer and Principal Petersen, respectively.[11]

Release

The Slumber Party premiered on July 27, 2023, on Disney Channel.[12] It was released on July 28, 2023, on Disney+.[13]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.60/10.[14]

Natasha Alvar of Cultured Vultures described The Slumber Party as a PG-rated take on The Hangover, stating that while the film's premise is not entirely original, it remains entertaining and features several comedic set pieces. Alvar appreciated that the film portrayed its characters as authentic tweens, contrasting with many high school stories that depict teenagers as behaving like adults. The romance subplot between Megan and her crush, Jake Ramirez, was described as sweet and believable.[15] Guillermo Kurten, Blair Marnell, and Rick Marshall of Digital Trends included The Slumber Party in their "Best movies on Disney+ Right Now" list of August 2023, calling it a "delightful coming-of-age comedy."[16]

Tessa Smith of Mama's Geeky rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and highlighted how The Slumber Party was inspired by The Hangover but remained suitable for families, saying it avoids uncomfortable or awkward content, focusing instead on a fun coming-of-age story filled with hilarious adventures and a heartwarming depiction of friendship. Smith noted that the film accurately portrays the dynamics of teen female friendships, with the girls interacting in a genuine and relatable manner.[17] Stephanie Morgan of Common Sense Media gave The Slumber Party a grade of three out of five stars, complimented the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing friendship and the importance of going outside the comfort zone, and described the film as a "sweetly innocent take on The Hangover."[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The Slumber Party: Fact Sheet". Disney General Entertainment Content Press. June 23, 2023. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ^ Hullender, Tatiana (July 24, 2023). "The Slumber Party Cast Preview The Chaos That Follows A Sleepover In New BTS Clip". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  3. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (July 22, 2023). "The TVLine-Up: What's New, Returning and Leaving the Week of July 23". TVLine. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  4. ^ Jacobs, Meredith (June 23, 2023). "The Slumber Party Is Family Version of The Hangover — Watch Trailer (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Stivale, Shelby (June 27, 2023). "Disney Channel's 'The Slumber Party': Release Date, Full Cast". J-14. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  6. ^ a b Denise Petski (September 27, 2022). "The Slumber Party Coming-Of-Age Comedy Movie Based On 'The Sleepover' Teen Novel Ordered By Disney Branded Television". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
  7. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (June 7, 2023). "Tituss Burgess & Paula Pell Join Disney Original Movie The Slumber Party From Imagine Kids+Family". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "Disney Branded Television Teams with Imagine Kids+Family for Disney Original Movie The Slumber Party". The Futon Critic. September 27, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Gachman, Dina (September 1, 2023). "Five Children's Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  10. ^ Bharanidharan, Sadhana (September 28, 2022). "Imagine Kids+Family adapts The Sleepover for Disney". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  11. ^ Manning, Luke (June 7, 2023). "Tituss Burgess and Paula Pell Join the Cast of Disney's "The Slumber Party"". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  12. ^ Dick, Jeremy (June 24, 2023). "The Slumber Party Trailer Teases Disney's Family-Friendly Version of The Hangover". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  13. ^ Kelley, Aidan (June 30, 2023). "7 Best New Movies & Shows on Disney+ in July 2023". Collider. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  14. ^ "The Slumber Party - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  15. ^ Alvar, Natasha (July 31, 2023). "The Slumber Party REVIEW - Don't Sleep on This". Cultured Vultures. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  16. ^ Kurten, Guillermo; Marnell, Blair; Marshall, Rick (August 2, 2023). "The best movies on Disney+ Right Now (August 2023)". Digital Trends. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  17. ^ Smith, Tessa (July 26, 2023). "The Slumber Party Movie Review: A Fun Coming Of Age Story". Mama's Geeky. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  18. ^ Morgan, Stephanie. "The Slumber Party Movie Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
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