Kevin Bacon: “I have the same desire and passion as at 18 years old”

SitgesThere are Hollywood couples who try not to mix love and work to protect their relationship, but that is not the case for Kevin Bacon (Philadelphia, 1958) and Kyra Sedgwick (New York, 1965), married since 1988: they have shared the screen on numerous occasions and have even directed one another in films and series. In Family movie, which was presented this Saturday at Sitges, the actor from Mystic river and the actress from The closer go further and make cinema a family affair: the film is directed by Bacon, produced by Sedgwick, and stars both of them and their children, Sosie and Travis. Of course, they filmed it at the family home.

“During the pandemic, Kyra and I shot some shorts at the ranch we have and it occurred to us to make a film with our children,” explains Bacon. “We proposed it to them and, surprisingly, they agreed.” In the film, Bacon is a director who makes low-budget horror movies with his wife, children, and a minimal technical crew, films that are not screened anywhere and that critics massacre. Things get complicated during their latest shoot when Sedgwick’s character, fed up with the barking of a rude and harassing neighbor's dog, decides she has had enough and stabs him four times. “Everyone contributed something of their own to this film,” explains Sedgwick. “Travis is an incredible musician and does the soundtrack. Sosie is an actress like me and a great dancer. And I would kill anyone who wanted to hurt my family. At least in my head.”

Both Bacon and Sedgwick received the Sitges Grand Honorary Award this Saturday, which in theory recognizes their contribution to the fantasy genre, although you have to dig a little to find examples in the actors' filmography. “We are all fans of horror cinema in the family,” says Bacon. “And it has an advantage from a purely technical point of view, because you can make it in a single location and at a very reasonable price. Plus, we wanted the film to have a DIY vibe. And boy, does it ever!”. At one point in the film, Bacon's character states that he doesn't read reviews. “Neither do I,” the actor assures. “If you want to be a creative person and make art, you will experience a lot of rejection and get kicked in the ass a lot. I don't mind being criticized, but I don't need to read it.” Sedgwick adds that “good reviews are never good enough, and bad ones are devastating, so why suffer?”.

The importance of sharing cinema

Having Family movie reach the public projected in a theater is one of Bacon and Sedgwick's priorities, who have fought for the film to have a traditional distribution. “The experience of sitting in the dark with other strangers cannot be replicated at home,” the actor claims, and he recalls that while touring with the rock band he has with his brother (The Bacon Brothers), he went alone to the cinema to see the new version of Airplane!. “It was 10 in the morning and I thought I would be the only person in the cinema, but there was another woman behind me. We both sat there and watched the movie. We weren't sitting together, but we shared it. I could hear her laughing at some scenes, and she could hear me laughing. And that, simply, made the movie better.”

It is easy to identify real traits of the Bacon family in the roles they play in the film. Like his character, Travis Bacon practices muay thai (Thai boxing) and plays in a death metal band. Sosie Bacon is also an actress and has appeared in films like Smile or the series Mare of Easttown. Sedgwick and Bacon play distorted versions of themselves: the actress who never had a professional career and the filmmaker who only produces flops, but who has not lost the passion and hope, because the next time could be the one. And in this aspect, despite being a highly recognized actor with a pile of successes in his filmography, Bacon sees himself reflected “one hundred percent.” “That’s how I feel. I don’t even know how to explain it, but I’m still trying to be better and do something impactful that people like. I have the same desire and passion as I did at 18.”

By his side, Sedgwick looks at him and listens with a melancholic smile. “When I met him I was twelve years old —she recalls—. I saw him in a play and later I ran into him at the corner coffee shop and I approached him to tell him he had done very well. And he thanked me and called me cute; it was a bit condescending. Years later we worked together on Lemon Sky (1988), and he seemed a bit stuck-up to me. But when I got to know him better I realized that he is a wonderful and kind person, and a great actor.”