Small Bath Tub

Clawson native's film evokes teenage memories

Writer/director David Robert Mitchell uses simple images and small elements of sound design to help us feel and remember what it's like to be a teenager. Riding your bike through the neighborhood at dusk, a glance from a girl you like, the swoosh of gliding down a water slide, and a lingering kiss with another girl's boyfriend are pieces of the unspoken story in the Clawson native's first feature-length film, “Myth of the American Sleepover.”

With filming taking place in more than 40 Michigan locations, notably Clawson, and a young cast of mostly inexperienced actors, the coming-of-age drama follows a group of suburban teenagers as they search for love and adventure on the last weekend of summer.

Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast at the SXSW Film Festival, and an official selection of the Cannes Festival Critics Week, the film will open Friday, Aug. 5, at the Main Art Theater in Royal Oak. Mitchell was staying at the Ace Hotel in midtown Manhattan when I spoke with him July 23, the day after his film opened in New York.

“A lot of things that I write revolve around love,” said Mitchell, who studied film at Wayne State and earned an MFA in Motion Picture, Television & Recording Arts from Florida State University in 2002.

“One of my favorite filmmakers is Truffaut. What I love about his stuff is that it is so much about human connection, the way that we interact. And not always the large aspects of our life, but the small ones,” Mitchell said. “There's something universal about a certain kind of experience. The details of it might change, but I think there are very simple feelings that we go through.”

One of Mitchell's film school friends, cinematographer James Laxton created a beautiful and dreamy quality to “Sleepover,” with many scenes taking place outdoors in the dark of night. The leisurely pace of the movie allows the viewer to settle in and observe, or to wax nostalgic.

Mitchell and the film's producer, Michigan native Adele Romanski, spent nearly a year traveling back and forth from Los Angeles to Detroit, holding large open auditions to find “real” teens for the ensemble cast.

“In the beginning, there were moments when Adela and I were nervous. The whole movie ultimately rests on those performances,” Mitchell said. “We didn't have a casting director…We worked ridiculously hard to find everyone, and I guess we got lucky.

Barn Furniture Blog » Small Bathroom Decorating Ideas – Give Your ...

In a small bathroom, adding accessories to give the room an elegant look may be out of the question because space is so limited.  Many bathrooms are very small, leaving room only to walk to the toilet, bathtub or sink.  If this is the case with your bath, there are plenty of ways to open it up and make it look more spacious.  The ideas and tips below will help you transform your tiny bathroom in to one that looks bright, airy and open.

Consider replacing the fixtures

If you’re doing a complete remodeling job or simply want to add more space, remove your existing sink and vanity combination and replace it with a pedestal sink.  This gives the room a much larger appearance because it doesn’t have a bulky look.  If you currently have a bathtub and need only a shower, consider replacing the existing tub with a shower stall, saving lots of room.

Color large areas with light, neutral colors

Many people have the misperception that bold or dark colors should not be used in small bathrooms.  They are wrong!  Bold colors give a room its spark, but you want to use them sparingly in a small bath.

Keep floors, walls and ceiling painted in a light color.  For example, a light neutral cream shade is perfect for the walls; paint the ceiling white so that it brightens the room further.  Look for flooring that is light and neutral colored as well; tile and linoleum are best in a bathroom due to the moisture and humidity levels.

A small room doesn’t necessarily mean small accessories

In a small bathroom, large accents look best.  Having many smaller accessories simply makes the room look cluttered, which is what you want to avoid.  A few well chosen larger accents add a punch of color and drama to the room without making it look cluttered.

For the largest wall, consider a large framed picture or wall mirror.  A large oval or square wall mirror framed in brass or pewter is elegant and stately.  If you decide on a large picture, make it one that is filled with intense color.

Other than that, all you need is a green plant for a corner and coordinating towels, shower curtain and bath rug.  This is another area where you can add color; towels and bath rugs can be boldly colored to add further richness to the room.  Stick to smaller patterns which won’t overwhelm the space when selecting a shower curtain.

If you currently have a clothes hamper in your bathroom, remove it and replace it with a smaller basket.  You may even want to keep a laundry basket in a linen closet or another out of sight location, so that you don’t have to take away from the floor space in the bath.

There's a Sheep in My Bathtub, Birth of a Mongolian Church Planting Movement

King Bidgood's in the bathtub

Baby Bargains, Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Gear, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More!

Baby Bargains, Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear, and Much, Much More!

Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin, Writers Running Wild in the Twenties