"Somewhere in Queens" finds honesty, humor, and warmth in Italian-American family dramedy

 Somewhere in Queens (2023)

If Nia Vardalos made a crowd-pleasing hit about growing up single and Greek, Ray Romano makes his feature directorial debut about being married and Italian-American. “Somewhere in Queens” is decidedly less broad and more grounded, even if the rowdy, outspoken family at the film’s center could have played as clichéd or sitcommy. That never happens in this minor but honest family dramedy, and perhaps that comes from writer-director-actor Romano knowing from personal experience how big, boisterous families act and talk to each other.

Co-writing what he knows with fellow sitcom writer Mark Stegemann (TV’s “Scrubs”), Romano also co-stars opposite Laurie Metcalf. Together, they make a wonderful pairing as Leo and Angela Russo, an Italian-American couple in the New York borough who’s always celebrating a special occasion with Leo’s big, loud, close-knit Italian family. He works for his family’s construction company, and she makes sure chicken cutlets are ready for dinner. There isn’t much time for romance, but they do love one another, and he’s been by her side even while she kicked cancer. And they love their 18-year-old son, Matthew/“Sticks” (played by an endearingly awkward Jacob Ward), a star on the high school basketball team. At Sticks’ last game, Angela discovers Sticks has a girlfriend, Danielle/Dani (Sadie Stanley), a dynamo who speaks her mind and has goals after graduation. Of course, when Dani later breaks up with Sticks, Leo has an ill-conceived but well-intentioned idea to mend his son’s broken heart so Sticks can nail basketball tryouts at Drexel University. 

A laid-back Romano and a brassy, emotionally true Metcalf have the accurate dynamic of a long-married couple; they’ve been together since high school and know each other too well (she gets tired of his constant Rocky Balboa quotes). Leo and Angela feel like three-dimensional people who don’t always do or say the right thing: he gets to be selfish, which belies with his everyman likability, and she has a vulnerability underneath her tough mama-bear exterior. The supporting cast Romano has surrounded himself with is also terrific, including stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco as Leo’s brother; a very funny Deirdre Friel as Leo’s single sister; and Tony Lo Bianco as Pop Russo, the patriarch. Jennifer Esposito has a bit part as an attractive yogi, one of Leo’s widowed clients, but despite Esposito imbuing the character with humanity, this plot thread is too obvious and rubs one the wrong way. The most surprising performance, however, comes from Sadie Stanley, a winning find who radiates natural intelligence and pluck as Dani (a character who could have easily been judged in the script). 

There’s nothing remarkable about the filmmaking, but director Ray Romano does bring a deft touch to the material, and it’s the sharp writing and finely tuned performances that truly shine. There’s so much warmth and acerbic, straight-talking humor to go around that you won’t want to stop hanging out with the Russos. If everybody loved Raymond, everybody will definitely like “Somewhere in Queens” — it’s funny, poignant, and surprisingly understated. 

Grade: B

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions released “Somewhere in Queens” (106 min.) in theaters on April 21, 2023.