Trees Lounge Movie Review
Trees Lounge marks Steve Buscemi's debut as an indie filmmaker after making dozens of films for other indie filmmakers. He wrote the main part of Tommy Basilio for himself, of course. Tommy is a 31-year-old screw-up, only he looks several years older than that. It's an important distinction, because he makes out with 17-year-old Debbie (Chloe Sevigny), the daughter of his former sister- and brother-in-law (Mimi Rogers and Daniel Baldwin). Debbie's dad is none too pleased about that, but…ah, well…only in the movies. But wait, there's more. Tommy had a girlfriend (Elizabeth Bracco), but then he took $1500 from his boss’ till (Tommy MEANT to return it, of course), so now he isn't best friends with his former boss (Anthony LaPaglia) anymore, and, even worse, his girlfriend's having a baby with the guy! But there's hope: Tommy's Uncle Al, the Good Humor Man (Seymour Cassel), died at the wheel of his ice cream truck and Tommy can take his place! Debbie can be his little helper (and future make-out partner). When it all gets to be too much, Tommy can always go over to his vorite watering hole, Trees Lounge, to drink and pick up women and drink and pass out on women and wake up and drink some more. Connie (Carol Kane) serves the drinks. Sound like fun? The press kit included the following: one Trees Lounge mini poster, one Trees Lounge coaster, one Trees Lounge shot glass, one 50 ml. sample bottle of 80 proof Austin Nichols Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, one set of lyrics for the Trees Lounge theme song, plus one audio cassette of Hayden singing same. There was also a Trees Lounge comedy web site at www.treeslounge.com. Talk about good, old-fashioned promotional ballyhoo. Trees Lounge isn't exactly a fidget-proof experience, but, as Movie Magazine staffer Mary Weems puts it, “I guess a drunken mechanic is less tragic than a drunken writer.” Well, maybe, but that doesn't mean I want to watch him drink for 94 minutes while listening to deathless lyrics like, “I need something to forget what got me in this mess….”
1996 (R) 94m/C Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Daniel Baldwin, Elizabeth Bracco, Anthony LaPaglia, Debi Mazar, Carol Kane, Seymour Cassel, Mark Boone, Eszter Balint, Mimi Rogers, Kevin Corrigan, Samuel L. Jackson; D: Steve Buscemi; W: Steve Buscemi; C: Lisa Rinzler; M: Evan Lurie. Nominations: Independent Spirit Awards ‘97: Best First Feature. VHS, DVD