If there’s ever a subgenre that offers a unique blend of drama and comedy, it’s the road comedy film. While the likes of Road Trip emphasize the comedic nature of the subgenre, films like Planes, Trains and Automobiles serve as a blueprint, showcasing the highs and emotional weight these films can carry for cinephiles.
With Tribeca 2024 comes Michael Angarano’s Sacramento; a film rich with both comedy and emotional depth that explores the importance of grief, friendship, and the complexities that relationships and life events can have on an individual. It’s one of the festival’s best films and discoveries.
Sacramento follows Rickey and Glenn, two lifelong friends who are currently going through two uniquely different but life-changing situations. Glenn and his wife Rosie are expecting their first child, and it’s safe to say Glenn is quite anxious about what’s ahead, while Rickey is attempting to cope with his father’s death while righting a wrong from his past. This leads to what is presented as a spontaneous road trip to Sacramento to spread Rickey’s father’s ashes.
On the surface, Michael Angarano and Chris Smith’s screenplay is quite simplistic. However, as Sacramento progresses, the screenplay comes to life. Witty, funny, and emotionally resonant, the duo’s script unleashes a powerful message about unspoken truths, the power of friendship, and the mental struggles death and life can have on individuals, relationships, and marriages.
Where Sacramento shines brightest is in its performances. Led by Angarano and Cera, who individually capture a vulnerability that’s hard not to emotionally resonate with. With Cera comes a journey of upcoming parenthood, and as someone who experienced parenthood for the first time in 2022, it’s quite the emotional journey, but one that leads to the best outcome an individual can have in their lives.
On the supporting side, Academy Award nominee Kristen Stewart is always a sight to see. However, there is not much to see with Stewart as she takes a backseat for the majority of the film. The chemistry between Stewart and Cera on screen makes it difficult not to long for more screen time between the two and their relationship. With an ensemble of unique individuals met on the duo’s journey, it was a nice surprise to see AJ Mendez (formerly AJ Lee in the WWE). As a fan of hers during her wrestling days, it was great to see her have a nice supporting role in Sacramento.
With a bittersweet and touching finale, Sacramento marries humor and emotion into a film about the longing power of friendship, the intricacies of human connections, and the courage in accepting and facing one’s own truths and reality. It stands as one of the best and most emotionally satisfying experiences of the Tribeca Festival’s 2024 film slate.
