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Growing up isn’t easy. At some point, it means taking on responsibilities and being accountable for yourself and your actions. But in The King of Staten Island, the latest by director Judd Apatow, one young man spends his days actively avoiding the inevitable.
The King of Staten Island stars Pete Davidson as Scott Carlin, an aimless 20-something who just can’t grow up. Ever since his firefighter dad died when he was just a kid, Scott just hasn’t seen the point. So while his younger sister graduates from high school and goes off to college, he continues to live with his mom (Marisa Tomei) and spend his days smoking pot with his friends and dreaming of opening a tattoo restaurant (despite his lack of real talent). But when his mom starts a new relationship, Scott’s whole way of life is shaken.
Scott has spent his life struggling with his father’s death—and the pain and loss that he still feels all these years later is heartbreaking. But, unfortunately, the character’s immaturity and irresponsibility will most likely have you struggling to feel sorry for him. Well into his 20s, Scott has no high school diploma, no job (until he reluctantly takes one later in the film), and absolutely no accountability. He makes terrible choices with no regard for consequences, other people’s feelings, or even common sense. He uses things like his ADD and the loss of his dad as excuses for everything from why he can’t hold a job to why he can’t go public with his relationship with his close friend. And everyone just lets it happen. When he tattoos a young boy, his mom just makes the arrangements to pay for it. When he acts up or does something incredibly stupid, everyone just moves on with a “boys will be boys” shrug. And everyone’s acceptance makes his behavior all the more infuriating.
Bill Burr’s Ray, meanwhile, isn’t a whole lot better. He’s a grown man who lives at the fire station because he lost his home. He makes Scott—his new girlfriend’s aimless troublemaking son—walk his kids to school. And he spends his nights partying with the guys and telling stories about all the trouble they’ve gotten into. And if guys like Ray are supposed to be Scott’s role models—the ones who are supposed to guide him in the right direction—it doesn’t leave you with much hope for Scott or for the women like Scott’s mom, who love them and continue to make excuses for them.
Somewhere in here, there’s a story about confronting the pain and heartbreak in life and finding a way to move on. But Scott’s journey feels like it begins too late in life, the change too little for a movie that’s well over two hours long. And it makes for a frustrating experience.
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