Watch Tiny Furniture

Tiny Furniture is a 2010 independent comedy-drama film directed, written and starring Lena Dunham, who is widely known for creating television series like Girls, Camping and Industry. This movie marks Dunham's feature film directorial debut and is loosely based on her own experiences after college when she returned to her mother's Tribeca apartment.

The film features a star-studded cast including Dunham's mother, renowned photographer Laurie Simmons, who appeared as Lena's mother in the film as well, and Grace Dunham, Lena's real-life younger sister, who also played her younger sister in the movie.

The movie's central character, Aura, has just graduated from college and is back living with her artist mother and younger sister in their opulent Manhattan apartment. Like many new graduates, Aura is struggling to find her place in the world and trying to balance her artistic ambitions with her familial obligations. She also grapples with her recent breakup from her longtime boyfriend, and her only real friend from college, Charlotte, is no longer present in her life.

Aura soon settles into a humdrum existence, taking a menial job as a hostess at a nearby restaurant while trying to figure out what to do with her life. She works at a restaurant with an abundance of insufferable co-workers who all seem to think they're better than the job.

Aura's mother, on the other hand, is going through some changes of her own after succeeding in her profession as an artist. She has a new exhibition opening that will take her to Ohio, where Aura's previously incarcerated younger sister is attending college. Aura’s mother is documenting her furniture installations in her new book which becomes a topic of discussion as Aura's mother's life serves as a cautionary tale about what could happen when you never grow up.

As the story progresses, Aura grapples with the failure of her seemingly successful family life, the displacement of the number of meaningless connections she made in college, and the question of what comes next after college that becomes a central theme of the film. Through her own personal lens and complicated relationships, Aura navigates through the themes of the film that explore love, family and artistic aspiration.

Dunham's writing and directing are both witty and subtle, resulting in an impressive debut feature. Her character’s deadpan dialogue and ennui quickly engages audiences, and the story resonates with millennials and those struggling with balancing their creativity and potential.

At 98 minutes long, Tiny Furniture is raw, authentic, genuine, and there aren’t any extraneous moments, thanks to the filmmaker's smart storytelling. Dunham's portrayal of a young post-grad even further cements her status as one of her generation's most insightful and important auteurs.

Overall, Tiny Furniture is an intimate, low-budget indie film that is both charming and honest, showcasing Dunham's ability to create idiosyncratic characters with whom audiences can relate. The film speaks to the struggles of post-grad life, self-exploration, and finding oneself while dealing with the high expectations of society. It is an entertaining watch for anyone who wants to reminiscence their lives after college and for those who are currently experiencing these uncertainties.

Tiny Furniture is a 2010 romance movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 72.