Somewhere in Queens

Is this the most fun movie you'll ever see? No. Is it the most comedic roles for Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf? Not even close. Somewhere in Queens is, however, a different approach to showing just how deep family love can go. Right or wrong, funny, sad...real genuine love for family is a gift, and that is the true message here.

Somewhere in Queens is well-written, well-acted, and leaves you thinking about the several storylines days after seeing it. Family dynamics are always thought provoking, yes?!

To me, Sadie Stanley (a doppelgänger to Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You) is the standout here. Forget about her character Dani being the most grounded of all in the film, I found myself looking forward to her appearing on the screen. You're never really sure what Dani is going to say, but it's always with tons of heart.

This film is worth your time.

"I love youse both." A partier at the wedding-reception

Somewhere in Queens is about blue-collar Italians whose diction may be rough but whose hearts are the real thing. Director Ray Romano, not a stranger to playing a loveable schlub, is Leo, an outer-borough Italian-American father who works a little too hard at times to propel his basketball-adept son "Sticks" into a scholarship at a small college, Drexel, in Philadelphia. With some accuracy this dramedy has been labeled "crowd-pleasing." Just think Everybody Loves Raymond for the big screen with longer time to flesh out character.

Romano directs and acts with a strength and depth he couldn't have for a network sitcom.

Working during the day for his old-school dad (Tony LoBianco) in construction, Leo attends all Sticks' games, brags about him, and regales everyone all the time about scenes from Rocky. Leo's attention at the games hints at his need to be acclaimed where he'll never be by his family.

The family feel here is authentic Italian, from the pasta-heavy dinners with friendly shouting to family secrets sharing, peppered with love and "youse" and an authentic "Mangia tutti." As the shiest of the Corleone-like family, Leo has given this introversion to Sticks.

Quite differently, Thelma Ritter-like wife, Angela (Laurie Metcalf), after her breast cancer went into remission takes an extroverted hard line about husband Leo's gaffs and about Sticks' new love going south.

Sticks' fumbling his new love, Dani (Sadie Stanley), has all the earmarks of his Dad's ability to screw up the easiest plans. Indeed, when Leo begs Dani to stay with Sticks through the tryouts for Drexel, he's tripping right into his biggest fatherly mistake ever.

Although Leo regularly fumbles such as the wedding speech he asks the videographer to erase, his heart is always there and big as when he makes a decision about having an affair with an attractive widower (Jennifer Esposito as the year's best MILF). Even his mistake about his son's scholarship is rooted in love mixed with a bit of harmless personal gain.

See this low-key, soft comedy for a pleasant evening with the family if only to meet shy, big-hearted Leo. He's a loveable dad and husband and father. Just like Raymond.

Wish the movie world had more of this. I know those stories are out there, but we get bombarded with reboots and comic adaptations with weak storylines and zero depth.

This film is understated, and revolves around the father and his basketball son, with the friction arising between a caring father wanting a better life for his son, while the son wants to follow a path which isn't necessarily of his father's choosing. Also a sub-plot of first love, and the conflict within his girlfriend that cares for the boy but doesn't want a serious relationship.

If you like Ray Romano, you'll adore the film. It's not really a comedy, but there are definitely funny parts to it, and his measured dry approach is delivered beautifully. Hats off to Sadie Stanley that plays the girlfriend - she did what was quite a complex role, fantastically. I'm a 52 year old guy and felt weepy at the end. It's a touching film, and maybe won't have the profile or impact of an epic film, but it's a really beautiful story of a sweet Italian-American family coping with some problems in their lives. It's the type of film you want to hug, and I'd watch 100 films done like this.

Who should watch it? Anyone that likes real life, touched with comedy, romance, and anyone that likes the Italian-American family vibe. Most adults with a heart will love this film. Of course, it's not a thriller, action film or all out comedy. It's touching (but not a soppy girly chick-flick). Writing and especially the dialogue, if fantastic.

When I saw the cast and that it would be Romano's first time directing, I was curious to check out Somewhere in Queens. There seems to be some discontent amongst some viewers regarding tha description and the outcome. The marketing says both comedy and drama. While I don't think that was completely correct, I don't quite think it was completely wrong either. The word comedy is kind of loaded and creates expectations of laughs and potential hilarity. Somewhere in Queens is clear with its drama but I consider it more humorous, which to me suggests something more subtle, like a chuckle here or there, or you think to yourself 'that was kind of funny' but not really any out-loud laughter. That is what Somewhere in Queens gives the viewer, and I think it did both drama and humor fairly well. Along with a dose of sentiment, it all works and I think worth checking out.

I'm glad I stumbled across this movie on Hulu and gave it a try. Seeing Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf as the leads clinched it for me, and it's totally worth the watch.

I'm not going to give you a recap like a lot of other raters do, because, hey... The description of the movie does that.

However, I could easily imagine something like this playing out in homes around the world, where we all can (sometimes) try too hard to make something happen, even if it means stepping on some toes.

I mean, don't ALL parents want to help their children achieve greatness in one form or another?

And the wedding where it all comes out? Who hasn't had a family reunion like this at one time or another?

Romano and Metcalf were both fantastic in this and believable as a married couple. The family members, always in their business, were also just as real.

This is a really good way to spend a couple hours to escape.