Vulnerable, honest, and hilarious… The King of Staten Island is the feel-good movie of the year.
With the state of the world this past year, it seems that there just haven’t been many good things to come out of the year 2020. Luckily, Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island delivers as a much-needed feel-good movie and arguably his best film. One thing you can count on from Apatow’s movies is that they are at times outrageous, and their crude humor will not appeal to some people. The guy practically created an entire new genre of raunchy comedies. But what’s great about a Judd Apatow film is that the story and characters come first with the comedy to support them. This movie executes this well as it is more of a drama than a pure comedy. So what better candidate to headline a Judd Apatow movie about firefighters and dead fathers than Pete Davidson?
Many people know the story of Pete Davidson’s father and how he died in the line of duty as a firefighter during the September 11th terrorist attacks. This has been the heart and soul of Pete’s dark comedy, and something that has obviously affected his personal life. The story of Staten Island takes heavy inspiration and is in a way an autobiography about Pete’s life, diving deep into how the death of losing a parent at a young age can affect someone, particularly in their young adult years. Father figures are important, especially for young boys who still have much to learn about what it means to be a man. Not just being brave, strong, and confident, but also being kind and making a positive impact on the world.
Pete’s character, Scott (named after his late father), never had that father figure growing up and his life has derailed completely. He’s a young person who is struggling to find himself in the world. He deals with depression, has no job, smokes pot all day with his friends and watches old cartoons. In spite of all these things, he dreams of pursuing his passion of becoming a tattoo artist and opening up the world’s first ever tattoo restaurant (Ruby Tatoosday, as he likes to call it). But his life flips upside down when old wounds begin to reveal themselves and his mom starts to date a hotheaded firefighter (played by the great Bill Burr) that tries to take Scott under his wing and be the father he never had.
Pete’s performance is vulnerable and real. You could say he didn’t have to try that much since the movie is based on his life, but in a movie focusing on this subject matter the acting has to really sell, and it turns out that this is by far his best performance. Of course, his brand of dark comedy comes into play quite a bit and his delivery hits the mark perfectly. Scott’s story and character arc are satisfying and leave you with hope by the time the movie is over. Pete Davidson says the process of making this film was therapeutic for him and it shines through in every frame he’s in. Burr was brilliant in his supporting role, and he brings his own famous comedic touch, but he doesn’t make it as over the top as you see in his specials and F Is For Family. Him and Pete play off each other and have a great back and forth, as well as some very touching scenes together. Marisa Tomei plays Scott’s mother and to no surprise holds her own and is great alongside Davidson. Scott’s younger sister (Maude Apatow) is the “sane one” and the rock of the family in a way, but when she leaves for college the family dynamic is thrown off course and its executed very well on screen.
Staten Island also has one of the best music choices of any movie this year, and they fit the tone of each scene they were placed. While it is overpriced on streaming services and the runtime is a bit too long for a comedy about a guy trying to find himself, this was one of my most anticipated movies and it turned out to be relatable and one of the best of the year so far.
Hopefully I’ll watch this movie, thank you Julian for always being an eye opener.