''Sleepwalk with Me'' is a 2012 American

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

co-written by, directed by, and starring Mike Birbiglia. It also stars

Lauren Ambrose Lauren Anne D'Ambruoso (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Lauren Ambrose, is an American actress and singer. She performs in television, film, and on Broadway. Ambrose had television roles as Claire Fisher in ''Six Feet Under'' ...

James Rebhorn James Robert Rebhorn (September 1, 1948 – March 21, 2014) was an American character actor who appeared in over 100 films, television series, and plays. At the time of his death, he had recurring roles in the series ''White Collar'' and ''Hom ...

, Carol Kane, and

Cristin Milioti Cristin Milioti (born August 16, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for playing Tracy McConnell in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'' from 2013 to 2014, and for her work in theater productions such as '' That Face'', ''Stunning'' ...

. Before making the film, Birbiglia had already told the autobiographical story of his struggles to become a

stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...

while dealing with REM behavior disorder and a failing relationship in a

one-man show A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including auto ...

and a book. The film had its world premiere at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...

on January 23, 2012, where it won the Best of NEXT Audience Award, and was released theatrically in the United States by

IFC Films IFC Films is an American film production and distribution company based in New York. It is an offshoot of IFC owned by AMC Networks. It distributes mainly independent films under its own name, select foreign films and documentaries under its Sun ...

on August 24, 2012.

Plot

While driving, Matt Pandamiglio tells a story that begins with him, although he still has reservations, moving in with his girlfriend of eight years, Abby. At his sister Janet's engagement party, several of Matt's relatives ask when he is getting married, and that night he sleepwalks for the first time. Abby tells Matt she finds his complete lack of interest in marriage to be weird, and Matt relates how he is the one who initially pursued her, but it is she who was responsible for most of the subsequent progression in their relationship. Matt is surprised to find the

TiVo TiVo ( ) is a digital video recorder (DVR) developed and marketed by Xperi (previously by TiVo Corporation and TiVo Inc.) and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose fe ...

full of wedding-themed shows, so he talks with Janet, and she tells him that maybe he and Abby should take a "breather". At the comedy club where Matt tends bar, he is about to talk to Abby about taking a breather when some friends show up with their baby and his boss, Ron, offers him some time on the stage. After his set, much of which consists of material he has been doing since college, Matt talks to a comedian who complains about the entertainment industry and his agent, Colleen. Ignoring the complaints, Matt goes over to Colleen and, with help from Abby, gets her card. That night, Matt does not want to have sex with Abby after she has been talking about babies, and he sleepwalks again, falling off of a dresser. His father is worried about him and tells Matt to see a sleep specialist, but Matt minimizes the problem. Colleen meets with Matt and, after initially trying to brush him off, books him for a low-paying gig that night at a college upstate after he says he has a car. Skipping work, Matt is told at the college that they forgot they booked a comedian and offer to let him emcee a lip sync contest. It is poorly-attended, but Matt enjoys getting paid to perform and staying in a motel. The next day, Matt opens for Marc Mulheren. He struggles, but, afterward, Marc talks to Matt and laughs at something he says about his relationship, saying he should repeat it on stage. When Matt takes this advice, he finally gets some laughs. Excited, he calls Abby, but she is out with friends and they have trouble understanding each other. He hangs out with three other comedians and sleeps on their couch, though he wakes up in the shower. Over time, Matt refines his act all over the northeastern U.S. One night, a waitress comes on to him, and they end up having sex in his car. He feels guilty at Janet's wedding the next day, and he does not know what to say when his mother asks if he wants Abby to be in the pictures of the bride's family. After riding home in silence, Abby goes out and returns drunk. She says they should break up if Matt never wants to get married and starts to pack her things. Matt finds himself proposing to her, and she eventually accepts. Matt's sleepwalking intensifies, and Abby begins to push him to see a doctor, but he is scared, and instead incorporates jokes about his condition into his act. Abby begins to plan the wedding, and one night, after his mother sends him a picture of Abby's wedding dress, Matt jumps out a hotel window while asleep and has to have shards of glass removed from his legs. When he gets home, he tells Abby that he does not want to get married, and they break up. Back in his car, Matt says that, when he was preparing to make this film, he went to visit Abby, who is now married with two children, to ask why she stayed with him so long, and she said she did not want to hurt him. He arrives at a comedy club and performs the story he has just narrated, telling the audience that he finally saw a sleep specialist and was diagnosed with REM behavior disorder. Now, he follows a sleep routine, takes medication, and sleeps in a sleeping bag to restrict his movement. Although he is not "cured", he says that is okay.

Cast

* Mike Birbiglia as Matt Pandamiglio, a struggling stand-up comedian *

as Abby, Matt's long-term girlfriend, who is a voice coach *

as Frank Pandamiglio, Matt's father * Carol Kane as Linda Pandamiglio, Matt's mother *

as Janet Pandamiglio, Matt's sister * Aya Cash as Hannah, Matt and Abby's friend, Pete's wife, and a new mother *

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as Aunt Lucille, Matt's aunt *

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

as Uncle Max, Matt's uncle *Ben Levin as Philip, Janet's fiancé * Henry Phillips as Henry, a comedian Matt befriends *

Jessi Klein Jessi Ruth Klein (born August 18, 1975) is an American writer, actress and stand-up comedian from New York City. Klein has regularly appeared on shows such as '' The Showbiz Show with David Spade'' and VH1's '' Best Week Ever'' and has performed ...

as Lynn, a comedian Matt befriends * Emily Meade as Samantha, a waitress *Danny Borbon as Tommy, who appears on ''Wedding Tales'' and in Matt's dreams *Amanda Perez as Tammy, who appears on ''Wedding Tales'' and in Matt's dreams *

Kristen Schaal Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on '' Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on ' ...

as Cynthia, the organizer of a lip sync contest Matt emcees * Alex Karpovsky as Ian, a comedian who performs at Ron's club *Ron Nakahara as Ron, the owner of the comedy club where Matt tends bar *

Wyatt Cenac Wyatt John Foster Cenac Jr. (; born April 19, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He was a correspondent and writer for ''The Daily Show'' from 2008 to 2012. He starred in the TBS series '' People of Earth'' and in Bar ...

as Chris, a comedian Matt befriends *

Marc Maron Marcus David Maron (born September 27, 1963) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, actor, and musician. In the 1990s and 2000s, Maron was a frequent guest on the '' Late Show with David Letterman'' and has appeared more than fort ...

as Marc Mulheren, a comedian for whom Matt is an opening act * David Wain as Pete, Matt and Abby's friend, Hannah's husband, and a new father *Dr.

William C. Dement William Charles Dement (July 29, 1928 – June 17, 2020) was an American sleep researcher and founder of the Sleep Research Center at Stanford University. He was a leading authority on sleep, sleep deprivation and the diagnosis and treatment of ...

as Himself, a sleep researcher * Sondra James as Colleen, Ian and Matt's agent *

John Lutz John Michael Lutz (born April 23, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing J. D. Lutz on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock'', and for his work as a writer on the NBC series ''Saturday Night Live'' for seven ...

as Chip, an employee at La Quinta Inns & Suites

Ira Glass Ira Jeffrey Glass (; born March 3, 1959) is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series ''This American Life'' and has participated in other NPR programs, including ''Morning Edition'', ...

, who co-wrote and produced the film, has a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

as the photographer at Janet and Philip's wedding.

Background

In 2008, Mike Birbiglia's

''Sleepwalk with Me'' opened

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

at the

Bleecker Street Theater The Lynn Redgrave Theater was an Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than ...

. The show, which was presented by

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

, blended stand-up comedy with theater and was a critical success. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "simply perfect", and ''

Time Out New York ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition beca ...

'' named it their "Show of the Year" for 2009. Birbiglia's performance of an excerpt from the one-man show at

The Moth The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Founded in 1997, the organization presents a wide range of theme-based storytelling events across the United States and abroad, often featurin ...

was used as the first act of "Fear of Sleep", the August 8, 2008, episode of ''

This American Life ''This American Life'' (''TAL'') is an American monthly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internatio ...

'', and the host of ''This American Life'',

, ended up working with Birbiglia to write and produce the film. After writing the one-man show, Birbiglia wrote the book ''Sleepwalk With Me & Other Painfully True Stories'', which debuted at number 29 on ''The New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list in October 2010 and was a finalist for the 2011

Thurber Prize for American Humor The Thurber Prize for American Humor, named after American humorist James Thurber, recognizes outstanding contributions in humor writing. The prize is given out by the Thurber House. It was first awarded irregularly, but since 2004 has been besto ...

Release

The film premiered at the

2012 Sundance Film Festival The 2012 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 until January 29, 2012 in Park City, Utah. 64 short films were selected for the festival from 7,675 submissions, including 27 international shorts from 3,592 submissions. Non-competition ...

in the NEXT category, and

acquired its distribution rights soon after. It screened at the

South By Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

Film Festival, was the opening night film at the

Independent Film Festival of Boston The Independent Film Festival Boston is a not for profit film festival in Boston, Massachusetts. History The Independent Film Festival Boston (also known as IFFBoston or IFFB) was created in 2003 by the non-profit organization the Independen ...

, and was the centerpiece film at the

Nantucket Film Festival The Nantucket Film Festival is a film festival founded in 1996 which focuses on screenwriting. Board members include Donick Cary, Nancy Dubac, Chris Matthews, Kathleen Matthews, Ben Stiller, and Tom Scott. History The Nantucket Film Festiva ...

, where it won the award for Best Writer/Director. Also appearing at the

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

, the Lighthouse International Film Festival, and the Provincetown International Film Festival, it was the opening night film at BAMcinemaFest in Brooklyn, NY, where it sold out BAM's Opera House. The first weekend of its

limited theatrical release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unit ...

in the United States, ''Sleepwalk with Me'' set records for the

IFC Center IFC Center is an art house movie theater in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City. Located at 323 Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) at West 3rd Street, it was formerly the Waverly Theater, an art house movie theater. IFC Center is ow ...

's biggest opening weekend, as well as the highest per-screen average for a first-time American filmmaker.

Reception

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, the film holds an 84% approval rating based on 117 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Laugh-out-loud funny and endearingly messy, ''Sleepwalk with Me'' overcomes its tonal inconsistencies to deliver a sweetly melancholic, amiably reassuring indie crowd-pleaser." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

score of 71 out of 100 based on reviews from 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." ''Sleepwalk With Me'' has been nominated for awards and named to many year-end lists. Birbiglia was nominated for Breakthrough Actor at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, and the film was nominated for Best Art House Film by the

St. Louis Film Critics Association The St. Louis Film Critics Association (SLFCA) is an organization of film critics operating in Greater St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois which was founded in 2004. In December of every year, the SLFCA assemble to vote on their ...

. It was also named one of the Top Ten Independent Films of 2012 by the

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

, was voted Laughspin readers' favorite comedy film of the year, and was #27 on Huffington Post's Best Films of 2012 list, with Mike Ryan calling it "the funniest movie of the year." Film.com named the film #11 on their 100 Best Films of 2012 list, writing: "Veteran comedian/first-time director Mike Birbiglia does something that

Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

, and

Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...

were never able to quite pull off: Making a film that honestly portrays the life of a stand-up."

References

External links

IFC Films
* {{This American Life 2012 films This American Life Films directed by Mike Birbiglia 2012 directorial debut films 2010s English-language films American independent films American comedy films 2010s American films