Hulu Family Comedy Is Directorial Debut Of Iconic Comedian
If you’re a comedy fan, you’re almost certainly familiar with the works of Ray Romano. Whether you’ve seen him in his long-running sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, his many stand-up comedy performances, or heard his voice in the Ice Age franchise, you’re probably acquainted with his work in silly, over-the-top, family-friendly humor.
What you may not realize, however, is that Ray Romano is a bonafide filmmaker, with the 2022 release of his directorial debut, Somewhere In Queens.
Somewhere In Queens
For those who haven’t yet had the chance to catch the family comedy film, Somewhere In Queens is currently streaming on Hulu. Though the project didn’t receive a ton of press upon release, it premiered to exceptional reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival and currently touts a whopping 90 percent certified fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 92 percent general audience score to match.
Romano stars in the film alongside Laurie Metcalf, Jacob Ward, Sadie Stanley, Jennifer Esposito, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Workaholics‘ Erik Griffin.
Dysfunctional Dynamics
The narrative of Somewhere In Queens centers on the hilarious and sometimes dysfunctional dynamics of an Italian-American family in Queens, New York. At the core of the film, we meet middle-aged couple Leo and Angela, who have fallen into a rut and grown stagnant to one another after decades of marriage.
Their son, 18-year-old Matthew, is something of a basketball prodigy, with dreams of earning a scholarship to college through his proficiency on the court. Leo and Matthew share a reserved, anxious demeanor, which prevents them from standing up to big personalities like Leo’s father, Pops.
Twists And Turns
After a few exceptional basketball games, Matthew manages to earn the attention of a college recruiter, as well as a young woman named Dani.
While Dani fails to make a good first impression on Matthew’s mother, she shocks the Russo family by defending Matthew’s dreams against his dismissive grandfather, who demands the boy skip out on college to join the family business.
Things seem to be looking up for the Russo clan, but the narrative of Somewhere In Queens takes a number of shocking twists and turns, resulting in a few explosive familial arguments that will give you PTSD flashbacks of your most uncomfortable Thanksgiving meal.
Ray Romano’s Family?
While Somewhere In Queens isn’t explicitly based on a true story, Ray Romano has explained that he built the skeleton of the screenplay on his real relationship with his off-beat family.
In particular, Romano found himself overly invested in his son’s high school basketball career, which served as the basis for Leo and Matthew’s relationship in the film. Many of Romano’s children and other family members also worked on the film, including some cameo appearances, name mentions, and co-producer credits.
Streaming Somewhere In Queens
Personally, I think that Somewhere In Queens is an extremely strong directorial debut, offering lots of laughs, plenty of intrigue, and tons of heart.
It’s a little surprising that Romano displays this level of talent behind the camera after so many decades working exclusively as a performer, though I suppose that’s what happens when you spend so much time honing your craft behind the scenes.
Those interested in checking out Somewhere In Queens today can stream the comedy on Hulu.
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