How Lady Bird and Sacramento See the City Differently
When it comes to how Sacramento is portrayed on screen, Lady Bird and Sacramento show two very different sides of the city — and it’s sparked plenty of conversation among local moviegoers.
Since Sacramento’s release, some Sacramentans have taken to social media to say the film missed the city’s charm, especially when compared to Lady Bird. But while those critiques aren’t without merit, it’s important to remember these two movies aren’t trying to tell the same story — and frankly, expecting them to misses the bigger picture.
Lady Bird, directed by Sacramento native Greta Gerwig, is the love letter locals wanted. It’s intimate, personal, and told through the eyes of someone who grew up here — someone who once took the city for granted, only to realize later how much it shaped her. From the aisles of Thrift Town, to the McKinley Park Rose Garden, to the grand homes of East Sacramento’s Fab 40s, Lady Bird captured the texture of the city with real affection. Even the quick shots of the Tower Bridge and small, iconic businesses tucked throughout town made Sacramento feel like a character in the story, not just a setting.
Sacramento, directed by Michael Angarano, isn’t about growing up here. It’s about two guys from Southern California who barely know the city, coming here on a whim. The Sacramento they experience is meant to be unfamiliar and open-ended — a place for new beginnings, not nostalgic memories. Their journey winds past landmarks like Gunther’s Ice Cream, the Tower Bridge, and Old Sacramento, while also taking in newer scenes along R Street, Folsom Boulevard, East Sacramento, and Downtown. But the film doesn’t linger the way Lady Bird does; it uses Sacramento more as a backdrop to a story about outsiders passing through.
Of course, to locals who know the heartbeat of this city — its neighborhoods, its restaurants, its parks, its deeply rooted culture — Sacramento might feel like it only skims the surface. It doesn’t capture the soul of the city the way Lady Bird did. But that doesn’t mean the film disrespects Sacramento; it just isn’t about it in the same way. It’s about what Sacramento can offer to people who are seeing it for the first time.
And let’s be honest: for a long time, people outside of Sacramento barely gave the city a second thought. It was written off as a “cow town,” a place you drove through on your way to Tahoe or the Bay Area. But those of us who live here — who know the vibrant food scene, the deep history, the creativity bubbling up from every neighborhood — have always known better.
The real story here isn’t whether a movie shows enough tree-lined streets or riverside sunsets. It’s that Sacramento is finally being seen. Whether through the lens of someone who loves it deeply or someone discovering it with fresh eyes, Sacramento is stepping into the spotlight.
What used to be California’s best-kept secret is no longer a secret at all. The once-overlooked state capital — full of charm, heart, and grit — is having its moment. People are coming here on purpose now, drawn by the very things Sacramentans have loved all along.
And whether Hollywood gets it perfect every time or not, one thing is clear: Sacramento isn’t just a backdrop anymore. It’s the main character.