Although Ray Romano has dabbled in writing quite a bit, including a series he created called Men of a Certain Age, the star (best known for the Emmy winning sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, which certainly contained lots of material drawn from his own life and family experiences) is now moving to the big screen with perhaps his most ambitious project yet.
The film, Somewhere In Queens, draws its comedy and drama from a very somewhat overbearing but likeable and recognizable Italian American family.Again Romano is borrowing from his own life, in this case his wife’s family in particular for the script he co-wrote with Mark Stegemann.
This time he not only writes but also directs, produces and stars as Leo Russo, married to his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and bringing up a son, “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), whose talent for hoops in high school makes Dad proud especially when his son gets the unexpected opportunity to play college ball on a scholarship — a surprise since he was planning to skip college and go straight into the family construction business run by Leo’s father (Tony Lo Bianco) and where his brother (Sebastian Maniscalco) works.
Trouble starts however when Sticks’ spirited girlfriend (Sadie Stanley) suddenly breaks up with him, an act he takes so hard it upends his basketball plans, something Leo is determined to go to great lengths to get back on track.
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