“I am in a post graduate delirium,” says Aura (Lena Dunham) the main character in Tiny Furniture.  That may be true, but this small film is more than an indie post graduate comedy. Tiny Furniture contains memorable characters, a good cast and a fresh new voice. It made me laugh and it also moved me.

After graduating college in Ohio, Aura (Dunham), returns home to New York to live with her artist mother Siri (Laurie Simmons) and overachieving seventeen year old sister Nadine (Grace Dunham). Aura reconnects with old friend Charlotte (Jemima Kirke) as she attempts romance with the wrong men and struggles to find her place in the world as an adult. Does it make things more interesting to know that writer/director/ star Dunham graduated from college in Ohio and that her real mother and sister play Aura’s mother and sister? Yes, but that is only part of the appeal. Perhaps there is something to that adage about writing what you know.

Dunham creates characters who are likable (Siri, Charlotte and Aura) and characters who are unlikable (Jed and Keith), but all of the characters are recognizable; at times they seem uncomfortably real. It is obvious that Aura lived a somewhat privileged life, but this has not done much for her self-esteem. Aura wants to be a filmmaker, but her mother’s success as an artist feeds her insecurity. Aura may be smart, naive and vulnerable, but she is never annoying. I wonder why she is attracted to a pompous loser like Jed (Alex Karpovsky), but on some level I understand it. Jed has achieved some YouTube notoriety as The Nietzschean Cowboy (the shots of him pontificating while on a rocking horse are hilarious) and is described as “a little bit famous in an internet kind of way.” His claims of meetings with people at Comedy Central are obviously false or exaggerated, but Aura is feeling so down on herself that she allows him to use her for room and board. Chef Keith (David Call) seems like a better choice, but he talks in clichés and wants her to get him drugs. Aura is sharp enough to notice these shortcomings, but too insecure to challenge these guys. I enjoyed the scenes of Aura’s changing relationships with old friend Charlotte and college friend Frankie (Merritt Wever), but what resonates the most for me is Aura’s journey. She wonders what kind of adult she should be and is afraid to leave the safety of her family. In one of the more revelatory scenes, she argues with her mother after her mother objects to her inconsiderate behavior. “Do you like living here?” Siri asks. “I love living here,” Aura admits. Throughout the film Dunham’s dialogue is sharp and incisive, but never mean.

Dunham the actress is extremely appealing. By Hollywood standards, she may not be model perfect, but she has a vulnerability and sweetness that I found moving. Her deadpan delivery of the film’s funnier lines made them even funnier. When asked if she smokes, Aura replies, “I could.” Laurie Simmons reminds me of Allison Janney, Grace Dunham is just right as Aura‘s know it all little sister and the three have great chemistry together. They are a believable family, perhaps because they are a real family. Jemima Kirke is delightful as the affected and flighty Charlotte, who is a good foil for the more down to earth Aura.  I loved their scenes together. Alex Karpovsky is perfect as the annoying Jed, delivering Jed’s cringe-worthy dialogue with the required arrogance.

The title of the film refers to Siri’s work photographing miniature objects. They are present in many scenes, and at one point Aura touches them with a certain amount of wistfulness. At times Aura seems to feel that she is living a miniature adult life. But Dunham straddles the line between reality and fiction like a seasoned pro. She is close to her subjects, but maintains the right amount of distance to make a good film, a film that won at the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival. Tiny Furniture reportedly was made for the tiny sum of $25,000, a rare occurrence in an age of ridiculously expensive films. This small low budget film will stay with me for a long time.

Tiny Furniture. Directed by Lena Dunham. Lena Dunham (Aura), Laurie Simmons (Siri), Grace Dunham (Nadine), Jemima Kirke (Charlotte), Alex Karpovsky (Jed), David Call (Keith) and Merritt Wever (Frankie).  IFC Films, 2010.

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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