Sacramento, co-written and directed by star Michael Angarano, is on its face a buddy comedy and road trip movie, but that facade hides some much more nuanced layers at play. It has the energy of last year’s A Real Pain while also harkening back to some of co-star Michael Cera’s biggest hits in the aughts. Angarano and Cera play Rickey and Glenn, best friends who have grown apart in recent years as the demands of adulthood take over, especially as the latter is a father-to-be.

They are brought back together when the carefree and immature Rickey asks the more upтιԍнт and responsible Glenn to help him spread his father’s ashes in Sacramento, a mission that Glenn’s wife Rosie (Kristen Stewart) is very much in favor of. The reason she is so willing to let go of her husband for the weekend despite being close to her delivery date? Her husband’s high-strung energy stresses her out when she should be relaxing. It is evident, then, that each friend has a few lessons they could learn from the other.

ScreenRant interviewed Angarano and Cera about their roles in Sacramento, and how it is the relationships that make the whole of the movie greater than the sum of its parts. Cera was especially effusive when discussing the onscreen dynamic he created with Stewart, while Angarano shared which scene was his favorite to write (and how long it took to direct).

Michael Cera & Kristen Stewart May Not Share Many Scenes, But Their Dynamic Is Key To Sacramento

“I Think Kristen Brought So Much To It As Well”

Sacramento may be a buddy comedy road trip, with a focus on Cera and Angarano patching up their frayed friendship, but their respective home lives are equally crucial to understanding the dynamic at play. Cera’s Glenn is happily married to Stewart’s Rosie, but a baby on the way has increased the stress levels in their home – with Glenn ironically being the one more likely to freak out than his wife.

When asked about developing that onscreen bond with Stewart, Cera was quick to give his costar her due praise. “I think Kristen brought so much to it as well.” He pointed out the subtle imbalance at play in their otherwise healthy marriage. “The energy that she’s bringing to it is that she’s very infinitely patient, but it’s too much for her. She needs space, and all I’m doing is making things harder for her.” While they only share a few moments together throughout the movie, Cera insisted, “It’s really central to my character.”

“I really feel like the performance she gives defines my character. You learn a lot about me and our relationship by what she’s doing, so it was very important to the movie,” he added. And while husbands adding to their wives’ burdens is a real issue, Sacramento tackles it in a more lighthearted way. “I think it makes Glenn very annoying, but endearing. His heart’s in the right place, and the fact that she can stand him and knows where it’s coming from with him paints him in a different light.”

What Happened Between Glenn & Rickey Before Sacramento’s Opening Credits?

“We Actually Had It In The Script At One Point”

When Sacramento stars, Glenn very much does not want to see or hang out with Rickey, despite their apparent years of longstanding friendship. As one of the story’s architects, Angarano revealed that he had previously charted the trajectory of their relationship’s dissolution. “We actually had it in the script at one point, what the final straw was, so I know exactly what it was. It was Rickey hooking up with Glenn’s cousin at his wedding.”

But final straw or not, “I think Rickey is just at a different point in his life than Glenn. I think Rickey also brings a lot of baggage unknowingly, and that stresses Glenn out.” Taking on the roles of both actor and filmmaker allowed Angarano to examine things from all angles as well. “Maybe Glenn sees a part of himself still in Ricky, and that’s what scares him, and he’s also an agent of chaos and takes tequila sH๏τs at 2pm or goes on impromptu road trips. He has no responsibility, and Glenn has a newfound responsibility.”

Cera agreed with his director and costar, adding that “Rickey is hiding things from Glenn always, so he’s sort of uncontrollable.” Rickey comes across as a carefree guy, but in reality, “he’s controlling the situation, and everything is on his terms, but in a way that is presented as being just the natural course of things. But Glenn feels it makes him lose his mind.” Angarano concluded, “Obviously, he can go about it in a little bit more of a graceful way, but Glenn’s really trying to shut Rickey out.”

One Of Sacramento’s Most Significant Scenes Took Only 13 Minutes To Film

“It’s Written Specifically Enough That You Don’t Want To F–k It Up”

There are hijinks throughout the movie, but Sacramento’s best moments are often its quieter ones. That doesn’t mean there aren’t jokes in every line, but they hint at deeper emotional complexities rather than sight gags. Angarano and Cera pointed to a few when asked which moments in the film they were proudest of.

“Early in the movie, there’s the therapy session that Rickey is taking over,” Cera explained, revealing in addition that Angarano’s real-life father appears in it. “I love the fact that Mike got his father in this movie that is a fatherhood story.” His wife and child being in it as well just adds to the family message being sent from the start. “I think that puts the whole movie on really good footing right off the bat.”

Angarano, meanwhile, picked a scene he shared with Cera as one of his favorites: “When Glenn and Rickey are in Sacramento, and they just did the ashes dump, then they go sit on the bench.” Despite it being rather verbose, the director acknowledged that “we, of course, had 13 minutes to shoot that scene. I think we had two takes each.” Luckily, they had rehearsed plenty beforehand. “That’s the scene we rehearsed the most in just prepping it. Because it’s written specifically enough that you kind of don’t want to f–k it up.

“We have a lot to say,” Cera joined, recalling the script for that scene. Angarano explained his reasoning a little further. “I think just from a timing and rhythm perspective, and it’s also the center point of the film, that scene was really important to get. And it gets the biggest laughs of the movie!”

Check out our other Sacramento interview from Tribeca Film Festival.

Source: ScreenRant Plus