Rep the Island
Friends, the highly anticipated Judd Apatow and Pete Davidson film The King of Staten Island has recently hit our TVs.
First things first, I have never seen a Judd Apatow film that I’ve disliked. Additionally, I would gladly let Pete Davidson destroy my life. That being said, I’m mature enough to admit that regardless of my love of everyone involved, this is not a perfect movie. It’s pretty damn close, but not perfect.
The film stars Pete Davidson and was directed by Judd Apatow. With an all-star cast of actors who give remarkable performances, it's difficult to dislike any of the scenes. Every characters’ role was well crafted, and the relationships between the actors seemed genuine and authentic. That said, the runtime of two hours and seventeen minutes is long. I don’t know what it is with movies recently but, honestly, nobody wants to sit and watch something for more than two hours. Our attention spans are getting shorter and movies are getting longer - what is up with that?
Anyway, I watched this movie twice in 24 hours simply because I thought it was beautiful. Regardless of whether or not you like Pete, this movie is so much more than an autobiography. It’s a story with heart, which explores themes of love, self-esteem and confidence, issues which are the core of the movie and extend to multiple characters.
The opening scene sets up our main character perfectly. Scott Carlin (Pete), is driving his car on the freeway and closes his eyes tightly for a few seconds, as if he’s trying to escape the world. When he opens his eyes, he causes a car accident and drives away from the scene. What follows is a series of the protagonist repeating “I’m sorry” to himself until the words sound genuine the last time. This scene shows us that Pete knows he fucks up and sometimes ruins things, but in the end he feels genuinely sorry for what he has done.
This theme stays true throughout the whole movie. From his relationship with his sister or mom, his friends, or the girl he likes, or his mom's relationship with a man, Pete loves these people in his life, but cannot express himself in an appropriate way. Many times in the film, we see Pete feeling sorry for himself and even when he starts to grow as a person, he spirals back down and does something stupid. Scott is also unable to accept help and guidance from others. This is demonstrated when his sister, Claire, tries to give him a paint set since he enjoys art and tattooing, but he gets mad at her for not supporting him.
In my opinion, the two best things about this film are: Bel Powley, and the incident an hour and twenty-five minutes in, when Margie kicks Scott and Ray out of the house. It takes a while to get to the firehouse portion of the movie, but when I think about what they could’ve cut out of the first ninety minutes, nothing comes to mind. Sure, some scenes could’ve been shorter, but each scene played an essential role in the story and the growth of the characters.
I liked seeing Scott learn to appreciate his Dad's work and the community he belonged to as a firefighter. Since the fire house was connected to his dad, Scott took a special interest and worked hard to make the place feel like home for him and the firefighters. Scott learned that his father, Stan, was a hero to everybody and that he was the perfect fireman. When a fellow fireman says to Scott, “It’s an honor to meet you”, and Scott replies, “I didn’t do anything”, the firmen responds: “You don’t think so? Thank you for your sacrifice”. Scott begins to understand that these men are braver and more respectful than he previously believed. Earlier in the movie, he ranted about how firemen should not have kids because the possibility that one day they will not return home is heartbreaking and will destroy them. However, at the firehouse, Scott realizes the other side of things, and as a result he starts to inherit a sense of responsibility and confidence.
Bel Powley plays ‘Kelsey’, Scott’s love interest. The character is beautifully written. She loves Scott, and thinks he’s awesome, but she does not put up with any of his bullshit. She’s also patient and understanding with him. When Scott does something stupid, instead of just blowing him off or becoming angry, she talks with him, tells him to figure things out and take some time. Kelsey doesn’t allow Scott to make her feel crazy. There is not a moment in the film where it seems that she doesn't love Scott. She was absent for a large chunk of the end of the film but when she came back, I loved it.
There were a lot of turning points in the film, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. These moments mostly involved fighting, or Scott’s confidence plummeting again. I will say, if you need a quick bathroom break, I suggest going during the scene where Scott’s friends rob the pharmacy. All you need to know is this: Scott is not in jail, but his friends are. Personally, I thought that this scene was too long, although I understand why it was important, since it sparked his craziness and obsession with Ray, and left Scott alone. The best part of the scene was when Oscar and Igor’s ringtones went off and you get a real sense of their personalities.
I felt that this movie was as much about Margie as it was about Scott. Margie needed a change, to get out of her routine. Like Scott, she needed to grow up. Her evolution is evident throughout the movie. One of the last scenes depicted Margie and Scott sitting on the couch talking about Stan; they needed to share their vulnerability to gain form of relief. It was a scene I had been waiting for the whole movie.
Scott’s ambition to open a tattoo restaurant was present throughout the film, however I didn’t quite buy it. I believed that Scott had the desire to be a tattoo artist, but he did not seem to make much effort to actually fulfill that dream. This could just be a “me thing” since I tend to concentrate more on the emotions and relationships between characters. However, I understand that as part of Scott’s character he is supposed to be a slacker and a nobody. Yes, he practiced his tattooing on people but he did not seem especially enthusiastic - it was almost as if he felt he had no other choice, because he did not believe himself capable of doing anything else. Again, that was probably the point.
Pete Davidson put a bunch of people he loved into this film, including his real life friends, his sister, and even actual firemen. Combining the people he loved with amazing actors like Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Steve Bucemi, Maude Apatow and others; you’ve got a great film. Pete Davidson gave a showstopping performance as himself. He was funny, charismatic, and honest. If you don’t believe me, read the reviews, (or watch the film). On a quick note, the soundtrack is amazing and goes perfectly with the tone of the film. I’m done with the praise.
All in all, this is a movie about self confidence and direction. When you don’t believe in yourself, you don’t listen to the people who believe in you. When you tear yourself down, and pity yourself, you begin to agree with the negative things people say about you. This is Scott’s journey and we can all relate to it in some way.
I can’t wait to watch it again and if anyone wants to talk about it more, feel free to DM me on Instagram because I only have so much space to write on here!