‘Humpday’: Lynne Shelton’s mumblecore movie was ahead of its time
Lynne Shelton was one of the leading directors in the mumblecore movement, known for her layered and naturalistic stories that often explore messy adults in their quest to find fulfilment and meaning. In films like Laggies, Outside In and Your Sisters Sister, Shelton creates rich and nuanced stories that hone in on emotional grey areas and explore them to their fullest, posing questions about our relationships with one another and our purpose. However, there was one film from the director’s body of work that was truly ahead of its time.
Humpday, released in 2009, follows the story of two old friends who reunite one weekend, hatching a plan at a party to film a revolutionary sex tape between them. The only issue is that neither of them is gay. It was a breakout film within the indie scene, made for a shoestring budget of $20,000 and winning the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, as well as the Cassavetes award. Shelton assembled a skeleton crew and shot the film in just ten days, with a sparse screenplay that loosely described the plot and mostly allowed for intense improvisation.
The idea initially intimidated Shelton, saying, “Even when it’s just two people [in a scene], it’s very stressful, because you don’t know if you’re going to get all the ingredients?” It’s a risky approach, and much like the ingredient analogy, the director has to be completely trusting of the actors, placing all hope in their ability and knowing that regardless of what’s not on the page, that you will get what you need to tell the story.
Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard star in the project, with Duplass as a more put-together and domesticated man who has recently discovered the joys and comfort of marital bliss, while his friend, played by Leonard, is a carefree and untethered spirit, not tied down by any job or relationship. However, after the old friends reconnect, they discover an edge of competitiveness to their relationship on a night out, both trying to outdo each other in how relaxed and unbothered they are by the idea of having sex, taking it to a new extreme by planning on shooting a sex tape together.
Shelton is so astute in her observations about male friendship, showing the anxiety and bravado of the male ego and the way they both want to ‘one-up’ each other, desperate to prove their own liberal attitudes towards masculinity that only further trap them. It takes the game of chicken to hilarious and erotic new levels, with both of them not backing down until the very last moment as they sit down in the hotel room to film their sex tape.
However, through their reaction to this physical intimacy, Shelton also highlights the discomfort men feel when expressing platonic intimacy with their male friends, with an adverse reaction towards physical affection that ultimately leads to these characters trying to counter-balance it with the ultimate display of affection.
Lynne Shelton tragically passed away in 2020, with her final work being the limited series Little Fires Everywhere. There is no doubt that if Shelton was still working today she would have an infinite number of clever and compassionate observations about the people around us, but her work continues to find and inspire new audiences today, with a lasting message about creating community and the importance of human connection.
