Buddies On The Road: Recess And Reckoning In Sacramento And Old Joy

Around the one-hour mark of Kelly Reichardt바카라�s Old Joy (2006), estranged friends Mark and Kurt reach the Bagby Hot Springs, southeast of Portland, Oregon, after a weekend-long road trip. A few days prior, Kurt (Will Oldham)바카라�shown to be in the midst of a life crisis바카라�calls up his old friend Mark (played by Daniel London), who has settled down in Portland with his wife. They have a house, are expecting their first child, when Kurt invites Mark on a short road trip, hoping to reconnect, after what seems to be a long period of estrangement.

They finally reach their destination, and Reichardt바카라�s meditative, simple, yet effective long shots show the two friends relaxing, after what has been a tense and quiet road trip. They both undress, and Kurt begins to massage his friend바카라�s shoulders. Mark initially resists his touch, but gives in slowly. His eyes close, his arms fall into the water, and they are eventually comfortable with each other. The dwindling friendship is given some life after they바카라�ve travelled on the road together.

After watching Sacramento (2024), directed by Michael Angarano, the images of Old Joy began to reappear in my head. Sacramento is a typical buddy comedy-drama, where Glenn (Michael Cera) and Rickey (Michael Angarano) take an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento. Here, the trip is shown to be the ultimate fix바카라�the turning point for both friends to take control of their lives. They become more responsible adults because of their mutual support and reunification.

In comparing these two films바카라�which couldn바카라�t be further apart in tone, style, and aesthetics바카라�the road drama emerges as an effective genre to portray authentic, vulnerable, and ugly feelings. The setting is perfect. Characters are bound by space, and time somehow stops. It is an ideal escape from the realities of the political landscape (depicted in Old Joy) or the crushing responsibilities of the household (depicted in Sacramento). These kinds of road dramas, frequently featuring two male friends sometimes estranged, sometimes strangers바카라�compel the pair to confront their feelings towards each other, simply because they have no choice.

Even in Old Joy바카라�a film which largely relies on silence and the vast expanse of nature to facilitate the storytelling바카라�a fireplace scene acts as a shocking interruption in a largely minimal film. Kurt drunkenly lets Mark know that he misses him, in direct words. After Mark rebuffs this, he takes back his words, but it cannot be undone. The heaviness of that moment never leaves. As a viewer, I could feel the reverberations of that brief conversation throughout the film. Contrarily, the tension between Glenn and Rickey in Sacramento is addressed in the first act, followed by a series of therapy-speak conversations, with discussions surrounding their growing fears leading to a purported sense of a 바카라�healthier바카라� masculinity. The film바카라�s aim is revealed quickly바카라�to show that men can be emotional and sentimental beings. They hug, cry, and share their deepest feelings with each other, away from an environment that places increasing pressure on them. It also pokes fun at the excessive nature of this display, which was a refreshing take.

In both films, the rebellious, carefree, seemingly easy-going friend almost rescues his timid and paranoid counterpart. Coincidentally, both Mark and Glenn are to-be fathers. They take permission from their wives to embark upon this journey of self-discovery. It is welcomed by Rosie (Kristen Stewart) in Sacramento, due to Glenn바카라�s constant panic attacks. But Mark바카라�s wife Tanya (Tanya Smith) is less than pleased to be left alone, especially because of a call from a remnant of her husband바카라�s past바카라�a sign of irresponsibility and impulsive youth. Both Rickey and Kurt seek to unearth some of these feelings of anxiety from their friend바카라�reminding them of their erstwhile companionship, of easier times. On the trip itself, Glenn and Mark are never really able to disengage from their lives barring a few moments. They are continually distracted by their lives back home, and for them, going on the road is merely fulfilling an obligation towards their friend. These interruptions act almost as obstacles during their journey, more so felt in the tranquillity of Old Joy.

At the end of Sacramento, Rickey has reconciled with Tallie (Maya Erskine), the mother of his child; to visit her was the sole reason for the trip. We realise midway that he fooled Glenn into believing he is going to Sacramento to spread his father바카라�s ashes; in actuality, he wishes to reconcile with Tallie to help raise their son. The film ends with the pair attending group therapy sessions held by Rickey바카라�in a men바카라�s support group바카라�to process their emotions collectively. Glenn seems to be more confident in being a father, with a genuine sense of worry still remaining. They are both in each other바카라�s lives again; the road trip and their misadventures along the way brought them closer.

After Mark and Kurt bathe in the hot springs, they quietly make their way back to the city in Old Joy. Mark drops Kurt at the point where they originally met. He says, unconvincingly, that he바카라�ll call Mark soon. But we know it won바카라�t materialise. He simply doesn바카라�t fit into his life anymore, and Reichardt depicts that reality in a sorrowful, yet accepting way. Mark drives home with the same exasperation he started the journey with, listening to an argument on the radio about politics. Kurt is a vagabond바카라�he has no place and no one to return to. He helplessly roams the streets at night, clueless and lonely. The weekend trip confirms what is already known to be true바카라�the end of a friendship.

Both Sacramento and Old Joy deal with the banalities and difficulties of daily life and adulthood. The two films reflect how being on the road, in the vast expanse of nature, can reveal truths that were previously suppressed. While Sacramento paints a rosier picture of how intimacy amongst friends can manifest in adulthood, Old Joy바카라�s honest portrayal of the unfixable demise of a friendship still holds, 19 years after its release.

The road drama leaves much to dissect바카라�with its imbrications of emotional conflicts with tough conversations, and resolutions. It may be the main foundation upon which the story relies, or just a coincidental plot point which is easy to ignore. Sometimes, the viewer is left with the hope of reconciliation between the characters, as they develop a deeper intimacy along the way. On other occasions, the short journey on the road is all they have. For viewers, the journey itself becomes the story. What happens before and after is up to our imagination바카라�we can remain hopeful for the future of these friendships or reconcile with the fact that they may never speak again.

Tara Mathur is an Assistant Editor at Yoda Press, an independent publishing house based in Delhi.