The Bacons are uniting on screen once again with the release of their new project, Family Movie, which premieres March 13 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. Featuring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, and their children Sosie and Trevor, this film marks the first time all four serve as the main cast in a Kevin Bacon family movie.
In this meta horror comedy written by Dan Beers, an associate producer of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, the story centers on a family involved in filmmaking yet facing struggles not unlike those in real life. Kevin Bacon’s character, Jack Smith, is a down-on-his-luck indie horror director, with his wife Elle, played by Kyra Sedgwick, as both his longtime co-star and partner. Their daughter Ula, portrayed by Sosie Bacon, is an actress secretly planning to leave Jack’s latest slasher film for a television role. Meanwhile, their son Trent, enacted by Trevor Bacon, works as a musician and boom operator while harboring ambitions of becoming an MMA fighter. Despite tight finances, the family collaborates to finish what could be Jack’s last film, but during production, shocking revelations arise, drawing parallels between Elle and the film’s psychotic killers.
The Family’s First Full Collaborative Film Role
Although Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick have previously involved their children in various creative projects, Family Movie is the first to feature all four members as the primary ensemble. Sedgwick reflected on the unanticipated enthusiasm from their children when they proposed working on this film together.
“I don’t think that we were necessarily looking for something to do together,”
Sedgwick shared with Entertainment Weekly during a Zoom discussion including her husband and kids.
“We pitched it to the kids, thinking that they probably wouldn’t be into it,”
she continued.
“I was so nervous. And they actually said yes. I was like, ‘Wait, what? You wanna work with your parents?’ It was pretty monumental.”
— Kyra Sedgwick, Actress
On-Set Experience Surprises the Family
Sosie Bacon acknowledged her initial doubts about working alongside her parents, anticipating possible conflicts due to the pressures of filming.
“Oh, I had reservations for sure,”
she admitted with laughter.
“I think we all were concerned that things would come up, we would get into arguments…little tensions and stuff would arise. In this situation, because we’re on set, tensions are already really high.”
Contrary to expectations, Sosie found the production to be remarkably smooth and cooperative.
“It ended up being the opposite. Like, we had no tension. We were so collaborative. And I don’t think any of us expected that going into it, how easy it was, and how nice everybody was to each other.”
“Not that we’re not normally nice to each other!”
she quickly added.
“But how down to try different things, down to collaborate, interested in hearing each other’s thoughts, even down to our performances. It was just the best, most pleasant, exciting, and kind of connected experience that we could have had.”
— Sosie Bacon, Actress
Trevor, who had the least experience as an actor, shared similar feelings about the atmosphere on set.
“It felt extremely collaborative and like everybody’s voices were heard. It was magical.”
— Trevor Bacon, Musician and Actor
Sosie praised her brother’s openness to receiving direction, which contributed positively to their teamwork.
“The amount of collaboration that he was willing to accept, I would say, I probably wouldn’t have been able to accept it,”
she said with a laugh.
“Even if I was just starting out, I’d be like, ‘All right, everybody has notes?’ But Travis was like, ‘Okay, thanks for saying that.’”
— Sosie Bacon, Actress
Family Dynamics and On-Set Roles
Despite the camaraderie, some moments revealed clear parental authority behind the camera.
“There was a scene they were directing where I was boxing and, you know, the scene was supposed to start, and Dad said, ‘All right, you can go, Travis,’”
Trevor recalled.
“And I watched the dailies back, and I heard myself under my breath say, ‘Usually a director calls action.’”
— Trevor Bacon, Musician and Actor
While the Bacons emphasized that they are not exact reflections of their characters, the script subtly incorporates elements of their real personalities. Dan Beers conducted Zoom interviews with each family member to capture authentic traits without turning the story into a direct portrayal.
“There was always the understanding that this was not gonna be us. We’re not a family that makes horror movies,”
Kevin said.
“I mean, in this case, we are, but, you know, we’re different, and there’s a lot of differences to us. But when we first read the script — at least me, I don’t know about you guys — I was like, Holy shit. That really sounds like whoever, you know? So he really, in beautiful and subtle little ways, kind of nailed that.”
— Kevin Bacon, Actor
Kevin also shared one insight that Dan Beers instinctively included in the story.
“We definitely have all snuck cigarettes from each other, and for some reason, kept a secret that we’re smoking a cigarette when everybody else is doing it. That’s something that Dan intuited; we never told him that.”
— Kevin Bacon, Actor
Future Prospects for Bacon Family Collaborations
When asked about potential future projects involving the entire family, Kevin Bacon expressed enthusiasm for more joint ventures.
“We would do it again in a heartbeat.”
— Kevin Bacon, Actor
The collaborative spirit, unexpected ease of working together, and fresh energy this Kevin Bacon family movie brought have set a promising tone for any upcoming projects featuring this unique family ensemble. The film’s debut at SXSW offers an intriguing glimpse at both their real and fictional dynamics, blending horror and comedy through the lens of familial bonds.
