Growing up, my immediate and extended family had a special relationship with Everybody Loves Raymond. There were many reasons for this, chief among them that we all lived fairly close to one another and that many of its characters are similar to characters in our family. Now as an adult, I have come back to that show and realized how well-written and well-acted it truly was, and why it stood out among many other sitcoms from around the turn of the millennium.
For those reasons, I was very excited to learn that the show’s star, Ray Romano, had directed a film called Somewhere in Queens. While it does share some similarities in tone to the mega-hit sitcom Romano will always be most famous for, Queens differentiates itself by being a light drama as well as a comedy. Thanks in large part to its ensemble cast, including Romano, many of its dramatic moments land as well as many of its jokes.
Romano plays Leo Russo, a contractor with his father Dominick’s (Tony Lo Bianco) construction business who’s always played second banana to his little brother Frank (Sebastian Maniscalco). When Leo’s son, high school senior Matthew (Jacob Ward) — also known as “Sticks” because of his long legs — is seen by a scout at what they had all thought was his last basketball game, Sticks gets a second look from Drexel University, and Leo thinks just maybe his son won’t have to work for the family business.
Leo is so sold on the idea that he nearly bribes Sticks’ on-again-off-again girlfriend Dani (Sadie Stanley) to stay with him until the scholarship offer is final. This scene of Leo’s initial deal to Dani is an early example of Queens being a lot less predictable than I was anticipating for a story that does have its fair share of predictable elements. Dani doesn’t need a bribe, and Leo apologizes and tries to quash the whole thing before Dani agrees.
Another thing I didn’t see coming is the chemistry between Ward and Stanley. It’s tough to play a one-sided relationship like this, especially when one is keeping a secret and the other is as socially awkward as Sticks can sometimes be. Ward and Stanley do a very steady job of it, and Romano’s direction in their one-on-one scenes is his best directing work in the film.
As solid as the whole cast is, the film’s not-so-secret weapon is Laurie Metcalf as Leo’s wife Angela. Metcalf always stands out like a sore thumb in the very best way, taking control of scenes where other actors might quiet the dialogue down, incorrectly thinking that prim and proper will always garner more sympathy. She leaves an impression because she wants the movie to leave an impression, and her energy is often infectious. I do wish that Romano and co-writer Mark Stegemann hadn’t written Angela as so overprotective of Sticks as to be off-putting at times, but that’s certainly not Metcalf’s fault, and she plays the role dutifully in any case.
Somewhere in Queens isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s not a bore, either. It’s very sweet, very funny, and at times quite moving. It’s a Sunday afternoon kind of movie. If that’s your speed, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s not always my speed, but I can’t deny when I’ve had fun cruising. | George Napper
