SOMEWHERE IN QUEENS: Funny, Heartfelt And Real

Ray Romano‘s directorial debut Somewhere in Queens follows the Italian-American Russo family, mainly focusing on Leo (Ray Romano) and Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and their son Matthew ‘Sticks’ Russo (Jacob Ward).

The film follows Matthew’s experiences playing basketball and trying to figure out if this path is his own or one pushed on him by his parents.

Heartwarming and Emotional

Somewhere in Queens explores the cultural pressure of this overbearing Italian-American family, and this applies equally to Leo and Matthew, both dealing with expectations of following in their family’s footsteps.

Leo works construction for his father Dominic ‘Pops’ (Tony Lo Bianco) and brother Frank (Sebastian Maniscalco), and Somewhere in Queens examines how even though it was expected of him, this life isn’t what Leo would have picked for himself.

Leo’s desires for his son to have a better life by going to college instead of being stuck joining the family business take center stage and teach us more about both father and son – and the unique dynamic between the two.

Somewhere in Queens is a heartfelt story about family and going too far to protect those we love. Both Leo and Angela take their love for their son to extremes that are all too relatable and real.

Developed Characters and Strong Performances

Ray Romano‘s performance as Leo highlights the challenging balancing act between pushing your children to succeed and taking their own feelings and desires into consideration. Throughout the film, we see Leo dealing with his own insecurities while also trying to take care of his son’s anxiety and Romano‘s performance captures Leo’s vulnerability.

Laurie Metcalf‘s performance as Angela captures the ever-changing intensity of a mother’s love and hope for her family. She is at times overly protective in a way that comes across as natural and displays the loving truth behind those moments.

Metcalf gives a powerhouse performance that perfectly captures the emotions of a mother worrying about her family as well as a woman who feels she doesn’t quite fit in with the other woman around her. Angela is a deeply layered character and Metcalf‘s performance makes her feel real with shifting emotions, mirroring reality.

Somewhere in Queens tells a heartwarming story filled with humor – and just the right amount of arguing that can only come with the close bond of family.

Comedy and Realism

The comedy in Somewhere in Queens flows perfectly throughout the more dramatic moments of the story, capturing real life, with all its ups and downs. Watching characters experience difficult moments, while still finding the opportunities for laughter is reminiscent of the most poignant aspects of reality, creating a unique slice-of-life comedy experience.

There are hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments throughout Somewhere in Queens perfectly paired with scenes showcasing the emotional depth and difficulties of each and every character.

Somewhere in Queens is a hilarious comedy with memorable jokes coming quickly through conversations that feel natural – especially when involving disagreements between family members and moments poking fun at Italian American traditions with love and affection.

Themes of Discovery

Somewhere in Queens follows Matthew’s journey to discover who he is – and if he really wants to go to college and play basketball or if his path is something he hasn’t even considered yet.

In an especially memorable moment, Matthew’s girlfriend Dani (Sadie Stanley) shares that she isn’t going to college, which Matthew’s grandfather supports, viewing college as a waste of time. Seeing the differing viewpoints about getting a college education is interesting and shows Matthew getting pulled in multiple directions, unsure of what his path should be.

Leo wants to help his son, but takes things too far, wanting to fix his mistakes through his son, without wondering what Matthew actually wants. Somewhere in Queens explores this with nuance and emotion, and makes sure the audience understands where both the father and son are coming from.

What sets Somewhere in Queens apart from the crowd is how everything is not solved instantly with an apology, but that Leo must put in the work to earn his son’s forgiveness.

Somewhere in Queens realistically depicts Matthew’s anxiety and the struggles kids with anxiety disorders deal with in order to find the confidence to actually be themselves and follow their dreams. Somewhere in Queens is a heartwarming story showing a mother and father who truly care about their son and want to help with his anxiety and help him succeed in life, even if they don’t fully understand it.

Conclusion

Somewhere in Queens asks important questions about the relationship between fathers and sons, and does so with raw honesty and hilarious humor. Laurie Metcalf, Ray Romano, and Jacob Ward give stellar performances capturing the realism of their respective characters.

Somewhere in Queens was released on April 21, 2023!

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