Introduction
Staten Island Summer is a coming-of-age comedy film released in 2015. It was directed by Rhys Thomas and written by Colin Jost, a familiar name for fans of Saturday Night Live. It draws inspiration from Jost’s summers spent working as a lifeguard in Staten Island, New York.
The film captures the essence of carefree life after high school in the 2000s. It focuses on friendship, first crushes, and the hilariously chaotic world of summer jobs. It was released on Netflix, and the film’s purpose is to combine the nostalgic vibe of older summer comedies and modern absurdist humor.
Plot Summary
It features Danny Campbell, a character played by Graham Phillips. Danny is a recent high school graduate and an honor student. His last summer before college is spent as a lifeguard at the Staten Island swim center. As a student, Danny is reserved, academically inclined, and possesses a strong sense of responsibility. His plans for attending Harvard in the fall, taking up a career in public service, and living the dream life is suddenly upended by mischief, friendship, and lust.
Frankie (Zack Pearlman), who is Danny’s best bud, is the complete opposite of him. He is the loud character who is crass, lacks restraint, and is always searching for the next bit of fun. He persuades Danny that their last summer before they officially become adults needs to be a massive one.
As the summer progresses, the pool turns into a microcosm of madness with a colorful cast of eccentric and negligent co-workers, including apathetic managers, and funny yet inappropriate supervisors. On the other hand, Danny is falling in love with the former neighborhood beauty, Krystal Manicucci (Ashley Greene), who is back in town. Although she is smart and unattainable, Danny is determined to get her.
In the film’s climax, Frankie plans the illegal after-hours summer finale at the pool. This party symbolizes the end of Danny and Frankie’s summer antics and their transition into adulthood. Expectedly, things don’t go according to plan. From revelations and fights to the cops crashing the party, the whole summer culminates in a single day. Danny’s decision to either play it safe or go for the unpredictable chaos of growing up nearly everything in his life, redefined the meaning of growing up.
Main Characters and Performances
Danny Campbell (Graham Phillips)
Graham Phillips portrays Danny with the quiet assurance of a straight man to an ensemble of fools. He brings earnestness and fragility to the role, embodying the conflict of a young man integrating his intellect with his emotions. His character functions as the film’s grounded heart.
Frankie (Zack Pearlman)
Frankie is the story’s comedic creative force. Zack Pearlman delivers a frenetic and loose performance as he incessantly draws Danny into absurd antics. Though Frankie’s behavior is crude, he is also grappling with his own insecurities and fears of the future, revealing his depth. The blend of Pearlman’s and Phillips’s performances makes their friendship believable.
Krystal Manicucci (Ashley Greene)
Ashley Greene’s Krystal is much more than a girlfriend. She is a character with emotional and social depth. Greene brings to the character charm and intellect, avoiding the reduction to a stereotype which is all too common in film. She brings tension and sweetness to her scenes with Danny, which helps ground the film’s more outrageous moments.
Supporting Cast
The supporting cast features an ensemble of SNL Alums and up and coming comedy talent. In wonderful oddball roles, Moynihan, Strong, Fred, Will, Mike, and Kate play everything from drunken relatives to deadpan police officers. Their presence infuses the film with sketch-style comedy, and, in turn, SNL-style offbeat humor.
Themes and Analysis
Coming of Age and Identity
At its center, Staten Island Summer is a coming-of-age film. Danny is the quintessential teenage character, struggling to leave behind the self of the past behind. The summer job, the crush, the party, and the hazy, exciting, and often scary future are all landmarks along the teenage path to adulthood. The film captures the bittersweet essence of youth and the transition to adulthood, where everything is heightened by the fact it is temporary.
Friendship and Loyalty
The friendship between Danny and Frankie drives the story. Their relationship is chaotic, often hilarious, and ultimately very heartwarming. The film celebrates the often understated bond of teenage friendships, defined by silliness, bickering, and fierce devotion.
Sentimental Value Of Working-Class America
Staten Island Summer is not like other movies or shows as it is not set in suburbs or a high school. The public pool and the modest houses, as well as the blue collar culture, helps the film achieve a sense of place and authenticity. Staten Island Summer serves as the proverbial love letter and celebration of summertime work— whether it be blue collar work culture in the service industry or the comedy that comes with it in the hot months.
Teenage horniness and attraction is a universal recipe for disaster and the film doesn’t shy away from that. Staten Island Summer depicts the awkward and funny moments of adolescence with understanding and a comedic lens. The film does not shy away from that awkward, but funny side of adolescence that we all seem to go through.
Rhys Thomas, an SNL alumnus, is the director of the film and uses a bright serenity as well as an close to home visuals. Summer is sizzlin hot and the film’s color palette features wide shots of the beach, the pool and even the neighborhoods of Staten Island.
Each film has its own unique structure and in this case, Staten Island Summer features a fantastic comedic still. The poos and beach allow for wide shots and there are plenty of opportunities for the beach, as well as the wide shots of the neighborhoods of Staten Island. The film is still mostly a comedy, but the straighforward and emotional coming of age moments help balance the absurdist moments into create a more even tone throughout. This unique balance, even with the way off, makes the film charming in its own way.
The soundtrack includes a blend of pop, rock, and nostalgic songs, setting the tone and energy for the pool party scene.
Reception and Legacy
When Staten Island Summer came out, the movie received mixed critiques but the soundtrack certainly raised a few eyebrows. Reviewers praised the film nostalgic tone along with the chemistry between the leads, but found it relied too heavily on teen comedy stereotypes, and familiar ones at that. Some critics as well found the film inconsistent with balancing heartfelt narratives with the absurdism of sketch comedy.
Fans of raunchy teen comedies, particularly those raised on Superbad, Dazed and Confused, or American Pie, found the film relatable and its reckless portrayal summer jobs, and teenage insecurity captivating. Viewers resonated with the characters Danny and Frankie.
Soon after, Staten Island Summer developed a quiet but steady reputation on streaming platforms. Although it wasn’t a major box office or critical success, the film found a niche as a fun and easy-going comedy to watch in the summer.
Conclusion
The film skillfully captures Staten Island along with the energy of chaos behind teenage life. Filled with the highs and lows of growing up, it embraces teenage mischief, and the challenges coming with it, in a warm, goofy, and sometimes outrageous frame.
Staten Island Summer may not be groundbreaking, but it pays homage to the joys of being young: sorority and fraternity parties, dunking into the pool, surprise flings, and friendships with zero responsibilities. If you’ve ever had a summer job, had a summer crush, or hosted a super fun party that got a little wild, you would find Staten Island Summer to be silly and nostalgic, in a good way.
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