Tiny Furniture

A few days ago I finally watched Tiny Furniture. I haven’t yet seen any episodes of Girls – though people are always telling me I should – and so it was my introduction to Lena Dunham and her style. I thought it was wonderful. I’ve never seen onscreen a true portrayal of the physicality of the way women act with one another – the hair touching, the arm squeezing, the back rubbing, the cuddling in bed. “Come to bed” was the catch phrase that got our group of friends through college. Bad day? Come to bed. Breakup? Come to bed. Stressed out from studying? Come to bed. Someone will brush the hair out of your eyes, scratch your back, and spoon the crap out of you. It was moving, and somehow validating, to see that onscreen.

The dude stuff was pretty real too. Maybe a litte extreme, but I’d be surprised to find a woman for whom the essence of it – the hope, the excitement, the almost inevitable embarrassment and lack of anything resembling romance – wasn’t a bit true. But mostly it’s the girl stuff that stuck with me, and that I think makes the movie so lovely.

Also, she goes pantsless a lot. I liked that part. Pants are for chumps.

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