Palm Springs, a new movie from Hulu, stars Andy Samberg (who also co-produced) and How I Met Your Mother actress Cristin Milioti. In the style of 1993’s Groundhog Day, the main character Nyles is cursed by some unexplained force that causes him to live the same 24 hours over and over again. While the movie is a comedy, Palm Springs actress Milioti (who plays Sarah), believes it’s also a meaningful commentary on commitment.
‘Palm Springs’ cast member Cristin Milioti on the ‘refreshing’ things about her character Sarah
Recently, Vanity Fair interviewed both co-stars of Palm Springs, Samberg and Milioti. Milioti, AKA Sarah in the Hulu movie, had some interesting thoughts on both main characters.
“They have both done some really unfortunate, shady things,” the actress explained. She said the characters are what she liked about the movie Palm Springs:
I think that’s one of the most refreshing things about these characters—certainly, as a woman to be able to play a human being, the full spectrum of a human being. Sarah has a lot going on, and a lot of what’s going on with her is not necessarily ‘desirable.’ But that’s part of the journey they take together. And part of the commitment of seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly, and seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly for themselves.
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The Hulu movie cast member says it’s all about ‘commitment’
The Palm Springs star also believes that in many ways, the film is about relationships and the idea of commitment.
“I think it is such a beautiful way of exploring commitment,” Milioti explained. Rather than so many other movies, which make falling in love seem like a happy accident (and one that will “save” you from miserable singlehood) the idea of choice is really essential to how Palm Springs ends.
“Something that I found really refreshing about their story is that they choose each other, as opposed to, ‘Oh, this person is here to save me,” Militoi shared. One line in Palm Springs stands out in particular to the actress:
…And I love that little speech I have of, ‘I will be okay without you, but I’m choosing you.’ That to me sort of makes all the difference. As opposed to this sort of ’90s Little Mermaid version of like, ‘Well, now you’ve met a prince, you got to say goodbye to your dad. You’re fine now.’
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Milioti had another way of describing Hulu’s Palm Springs, too.
“I always sort of felt that it was an existential comedy,” she told Vanity Fair. “These two people also have to come to terms with their own stuff, and can’t keep running from these things they don’t want to sit in.”
But Palm Springs, in her opinion, still circles back to the concept of commitment.
“That’s also such an incredible part of commitment is that no one’s going to save you,” Milioti said. “You have to govern your own sh*t.”