Mumblecore

Mumblecore
Years active	2002–present
Country	United States
Major figures	Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, Aaron Katz, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Joe Swanberg
Influences	DIY culture, Dogme 95, American independent film, digital filmmaking

Mumblecore is an American independent film movement that arose at the turn of the 21st century.^[1][2] Filmmakers associated with the movement include Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Aaron Katz, Joe Swanberg, and Barry Jenkins.^[1][3][4]

History and etymology

Andrew Bujalski has been described as the "Godfather of Mumblecore".^[5] His 2002 directorial debut, Funny Ha Ha, is generally considered to be the first mumblecore film.^[6]

The 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival screened a number of other films that came to be considered part of the mumblecore movement, including Bujalski's second film Mutual Appreciation, The Puffy Chair by Mark Duplass & Jay Duplass, and Kissing on The Mouth by Joe Swanberg.^[5][7][2][8]

The term "mumblecore" was coined by Eric Masunaga, a sound editor who has worked with Bujalski. Masunaga coined the term one night at a bar during the 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival, when asked to describe the similarities between Mutual Appreciation, The Puffy Chair, and Kissing On The Mouth, which all screened at the festival.^[5] The term was first used publicly by Bujalski in an interview with indieWIRE.^[2][6]

The directors of the films are sometimes referred to collectively as "mumblecorps," as in press corps. Film journalists have also used the terms "bedhead cinema", and "Slackavetes," a portmanteau derived from the title of Richard Linklater's dialogue heavy, lo-fi 90s film Slacker^[2] and the name of independent film director John Cassavetes.

In 2007, the IFC Center in New York City exhibited a ten-film series of mumblecore films, titled "The New Talkies: Generation D.I.Y."^[2]

New York-based Benten Films, a boutique DVD label run by film critics, has championed such mumblecore titles as Swanberg's LOL, and Katz's first two films: Dance Party USA and Quiet City.

Distinguishing characteristics

Mumblecore films are generally set in a post-college milieu, with characters that are typically heterosexual, white, middle class, and in their twenties.^[1] These films are typically character-driven, focusing more on relationships than conventional plot points.^[2][5] However, a number of films considered to be part of the movement do not conform to this mold. Medicine for Melancholy focuses on African American characters,^[9] Bujalski's Beeswax features characters that are older,^[10] and Mark & Jay Duplass' Baghead utilises a number of tropes from the horror film genre.

Naturalism - both in performance and dialogue - is a key feature of almost all mumblecore films.^[2] Many mumblecore films feature non-professional actors,^[1][2][5] however Mark Duplass & Jay Duplass have worked with professional actors on their films Baghead and Cyrus.^[8] Some mumblecore films feature a prominent use of improvisation,^[2][5] with the cast sharing script credits.^[1] However, not all mumblecore films feature significant improvisation. For example, the films of Andrew Bujalski are heavily scripted.^[10]

Mumblecore films are general produced with a low or micro-budget and low production values.^[5][6] Many of these films are shot digitally,^[1][6] however this is not a defining characteristic. As of July 2011, all of Andrew Bujalski's films have been shot on film.^[10]

List of mumblecore films

• 2002
  • Funny Ha Ha^[2]
• 2005
  • Kissing on the Mouth^[2]
  • The Puffy Chair^[2]
  • Mutual Appreciation^[2]
• 2006
  • Dance Party USA^[2]
  • LOL^[1]
• 2007
  • Hannah Takes the Stairs^[2]
  • Quiet City^[2]
  • Hohokam ^[2]
  • Orphans ^[3]
  • Team Picture ^[11]
• 2008
  • Baghead ^[12]
  • In Search of a Midnight Kiss ^[13]
  • The Pleasure of Being Robbed ^[14]
  • Nights and Weekends ^[15]
  • Luke and Brie Are on a First Date^[16]
  • Yeast
  • The Snake
• 2009
  • Alexander the Last^[6]
  • Medicine for Melancholy^[17]
  • Humpday^[18]
  • Beeswax^[19]
  • Daddy Longlegs^[20]
  • Sorry, Thanks^[21]
• 2010
  • Cyrus
  • Tiny Furniture
  • Greenberg
  • Twelve Thirty
• 2011
  • Cold Weather^[22]
  • Uncle Kent
  • Få meg på, for faen, English title: Turn Me On, Goddammit
  • Weekend

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Hoberman, J. (August 14, 2007). "It's Mumblecore!". The Village Voice. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q} Lim, Dennis (August 19, 2007). Mumblecore - The New Talkies: Generation DIY. The New York Times. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
3. ^ ^{a b} Hubert, Andrea (May 19, 2007). "Andrea Hubert on the latest fad to hit the US indie film scene". The Guardian. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
4. ^ Harring, Michael (Sep 29, 2009). "Local Sightings Film Festival: An I-5 Road Trip and Other New Movies Debut". The Seattle Weekly. Retrieved on Oct 7, 2009.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} A Genere Worth Shouting About, The Independent. Retrieved June 2011.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} Youth Quake: Mumblecore Movies, New Yorker. Retrieved June 2011.
7. ^ Mumblecore Goes Mainstream, Variety. Retrieved June 2011.
8. ^ ^{a b} Mumblecore meets the mainstream in Cyrus at Sundance, Guardian. Retrieved June 2011.
9. ^ A Short-Term Affair Leads to Big Questions, New York Times. Retrieved June 2011.
10. ^ ^{a b c} Bujalski’s Beeswax Makes People Say Mumblecore, indieWire. Retrieved June 2011.
11. ^ Herrington, Chris (March 6, 2008). "Mumblecore": A new new-wave showcase at the Brooks. Memphis Flyer. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.
12. ^ Dollar, Steve (July 25, 2008). "Mumblecore Meets Grindhouse in 'Baghead'". The New York Sun. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
13. ^ Pais, Matt (July 31, 2008). Search of a Midnight Kiss' review. Metromix. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.^{[dead link]}
14. ^ Burr, Ty (May 23, 2008). "It's their scene at Cannes - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. Retrieved on August 21, 2008.
15. ^ "What I Meant To Say". Filmmaker Magazine. Summer 2008. Retrieved on August 20, 2008.
16. ^ "Hamptons Film Festival Review". SpoutBlog. October 2008.^{[dead link]}
17. ^ "IFC Takes 'Medicine' ". Indiewire. June 18, 2008. Retrieved on August 21, 2008.^{[dead link]}
18. ^ Jones, Michael (2009). "Magnolia gets Shelton's 'Humpday'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=2470&articleid=VR1117998793&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-01-20.  Published on January 19, 2009
19. ^ Beeswax Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes^{[dead link]}
20. ^ Daddy Longlegs - Filmcritic.com Movie Review
21. ^ Sorry, Thanks
22. ^ SXSW 2010 Postscript: On Cold Weather and Original Live Scoring | The House Next Door

External links

• indieWIRE Interview:The Mumblecore Movement? Andrew Bujalski On His "Funny Ha Ha"
• indieWIRE: Mumblecore Movie? Swanberg, Bujalski, Duplass and Others Unveil "Hannah Takes The Stairs"
• The Austin Chronicle: Mumblecore And Murder
• Benten Films website
• BU Today: Don't Say "Mumblecore" to Bujalski, article and video
• Free Times: Features - Don't Call it "Mumblecore"
• Daily Film Dose: Alexander The Last, The Movie That Killed Mumblecore
• Mumblecore: All Talk? | Filmlinc.com | Film Society of Lincoln Center