Michael Angarano’s coming-of-age road movie Sacramento is a tragicomedy of sorts, though it’s more easygoing than that sounds.

Rickey (Angarno) and Glenn (Michael Cera of Superbad and Dream Scenario) are intermittent pals, though Glenn is always suspicious of Rickey’s freewheeling personality and motives. Glenn is not only reluctant, but also highly anxious in general. Often comforted by his wife Rosie (Academy Award nominee Kristen Stewart) as she carries their first born, Rosie encourages her hubby to break bread with Rickey. When Rickey abruptly pitches Glenn with an impromptu road trip to Sacramento, Rosie gives her blessing and Glenn musters up the confidence. Of course, the trip reveals to have ulterior motives which brings the guys closer together while also allowing them to reflect on their own positions in life.

While Sacramento sounds like a cliché, director Angarano (who also co-wrote the screenplay with character actor Chris Smith) finds ways to elevate the film above some genre conventions. The buddy comedy/”man child” angle, for instance, is perceived as an examination on insecure men and the grand gestures they use to mask their sensitivities. Glenn, with his heightened stress, wears this characterization on his sleeve more than Rickey. But eventually, the renegade charmer opens up when a flame from his past (the filmmaker’s real-life spouse, writer Maya Erskine) gains more of a presence. Rickey being a self-acclaimed self-help guru may be a little too on the nose considering how flawed he obviously is, but this quirk adds more of an absurd side to Angarano’s character. Same goes for Glenn’s triggers as a soon-to-be father causing him to lose his grip. Glenn’s mental state is taken more seriously, but nearly everything spoken by Cera is deliberately hilarious.

Sacramento has a slick style that works hand-in-hand with its jazzy score. But, there are also many long-winded sequences of driving and shots of the roadside scenery that seems as though the film is trying to pad itself out. There’s no doubt that Sacramento could be tighter and further realized. But as a lighthearted flick, Sacramento hits the spot.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie