Review of Tiny Furniture (2010) by Caleb C — 17 Feb 2012

Aura âis having a really hard time right now.â? I know, because Iâ(TM)ve been there⦠(Am there?) What does one âdoâ? with a film degree? Particularly, what does one do with a recent film degree at twenty-two in the middle of a global recession? âWe picked the worst time to graduate.â? One character moans. The answer must be the same as any young person trying to figure out which silo in the world theyâ(TM)re expected to scurry into once theyâ(TM)ve been awarded their debt and diploma - We sort it out, commonly with little grace or tact. Thereâ(TM)s a memorable line midway through â~Tiny Furnitureâ(TM) (there are many) when Siri, Auraâ(TM)s mother asks.

Auraâ(TM)s convenient ânewâ? friend (with old memories), Charlotte, âDoes everyone from your generation operate with such self-entitlement?â? My first thought was, âdidnâ(TM)t you?â? Of course, thatâ(TM)s probably just my entitled millennial ego speaking up, but I imagine thatâ(TM)s what writer-director Lena Dunham was getting at since weâ(TM)re treated to agreeing clues like Siriâ(TM)s diary âfrom when she was our ageâ? with familiar passages, and telling dialogue like âI donâ(TM)t even remember my twenties. I just keep moving forward.â? So label us the âmeâ? generation if thatâ(TM)s more comfortable. But for those too far removed, this is the most uncertain, devastatingly naked age in life, and all anybody really wants is some acceptance and security. Sorry if that comes off as entitled. Aura will get better, certainly. Sheâ(TM)s too charming, educated, and well raised to spend the rest of her life as a hostess, massage therapist, or makeup girl. Not that thereâ(TM)s anything wrong with those professions, itâ(TM)s just that one day sheâ(TM)ll figure out she doesnâ(TM)t necessarily belong in those silos â" or any silo for that matter. I have a feeling sheâ(TM)s the type of person that just might vent it all out in a clever screenplay, shoot the movie for fifty grand on a DSLR, and show the world she can make an honest contribution whether itâ(TM)s appreciated or not. Who says it has to be pretty?