Interview: Scribe Chris Bergoch Chats About the Words of ‘Red Rocket’

Full disclosure: I’m friendly with Chris Bergoch. Now, that shouldn’t mean anything, considering I’ve enjoyed his work with Sean Baker long before I even met him. However, in the interest of putting everything on Front Street, just know that we have spent some time hanging out at film festivals. Then again, when you listen to my interview with him, it’s not going to be hard to realize that we’ve met. We tend to have a good time and are very silly, with this chat being no exception. With Red Rocket about to hit screens this weekend (and my interviews with most of the creatives hitting, including Bree Elrod yesterday), what better time to get him on the record and share our nonsense with the world?

Below, you can hear my conversation with Bergoch. We talk plenty about Red Rocket, but there’s also chatter about The Florida Project, and even Starlet. It’s always a delight to hear about stories from indie cinema, and Bergoch is chock full of them. In a way, it’s like having a front row seat to films getting made. While Baker gets all of the credit, and don’t get me wrong, he’s a genius, Bergoch is an underrated gem of his own. Truly, he should be getting more acclaim. One of these days, the pair will receive their first Academy Award nominations, but beyond Oscar glory, he just deserves a platform. It’s coming, mark my words, and when you listen to this discussion, it’ll become even clearer.

Here is some of my rave review of Red Rocket:

I’m so delighted that storytellers like Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch exist. Truly, they’re cinematic savants, able to find brilliant tales set within society’s fringes. If there’s a person who no one else would think of making a film about, Baker and Bergoch are almost guaranteed to find the beauty and the heartbreak in their situation. Red Rocket is yet another example of this. In fact, they’ve found riotous comedy in a situation almost no one else would play for laughs, while retaining all of their trademark heart.

Sean Baker’s writing (as well as Chris Bergoch’s) and directing is truly on point in Red Rocket. This, more than any of Baker’s work before, could have gone wrong. Their protagonist could have been unwatchable in his awfulness. The sexuality on display could have gone over the edge. It just all could have left a bad taste in your mouth. Instead, it’s Baker and Bergoch’s funniest flick, as well as one of their most touching. The screenplay never spells anything out, but also doesn’t ever leave you behind. 

Here now is my interview with Red Rocket writer Chris Bergoch. Enjoy:

Red Rocket is in theaters this weekend!