David Chase's highly acclaimed HBO series, The Sopranos, is undoubtedly one of the most influential television shows of all time. It ushered in a new era of television by depicting how cinematic and impactful a television show can truly be. The show was inspired by the mobster films that came before it, such as Goodfellas, but also served as inspiration for every gangster show that has followed, like Breaking Bad or The Penguin. The Sopranos has been cemented as one of the all-time greats in television history for over 20 years, and it also made many of the actors in the show familiar faces for years.
Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Like Follow Followed Trees Lounge R Drama Comedy Release Date October 11, 1996 Runtime 95 Minutes Director Steve Buscemi Writers Steve Buscemi Cast See All Steve Buscemi Tommy Chloe Sevigny Debbie Carol Kane Connie Mark Boone Junior Mike
Powered by Expand Collapse
In the years since the show premiered 26 years ago, the cast has become instantly recognizable when spotted in other shows or movies. The large ensemble cast is part of what makes the show so special, as each character is memorable regardless of how often they appear on-screen. Even the celebrity guest stars the show frequently had were memorable, like Jon Favreau playing a heightened version of himself in season one. These actors worked exceptionally well together, making the performances even better. There's a reason for that, as several actors on The Sopranos actually worked together before on a small indie dramedy in 1996.
'Trees Lounge' Was Steve Buscemi's Directorial Debut
That small indie film was Steve Buscemi's directorial debut, Trees Lounge. The slice-of-life comedy premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996 in France. It debuted during the Director's Fortnight, which is an independent portion of one of the biggest celebrations of cinema in the world. It fared well with critics, and renowned film critic Roger Ebert in particular enjoyed the film. He rated it a 3.5 out of 4 and praised Buscemi for how he depicted alcoholism in the film, with his character being a daily drinker at his local bar.
Related The Best Steve Buscemi Movies, Ranked
Prolific film and television star Steve Buscemi is a delightfully entertaining, eccentric actor and director who can both support and headline movies.
Posts
Unfortunately, the film did not resonate as much with audiences at the time. It never broke into the mainstream of movies released at the time, the way other comedy dramas did. Still, it is an effective story with an intelligent script, also written by Buscemi.
What Is 'Trees Lounge' About?
The film follows Tommy Basilio (Buscemi), a slacker living in the suburbs of New York City, as he loses both his job as a mechanic and his girlfriend. He reluctantly agrees to take over driving the local ice cream truck for his Uncle Al (Seymour Cassel) after he passed away while driving the truck himself. A purveyor of a good time, Tommy partakes in doing cocaine during his uncle's wake and winds up at the titular bar yet again.
Tommy is trying and failing to get his life together and views driving his uncle's ice-cream truck as an embarrassment. The only thing that seems to give him any joy while driving the truck is when his ex-girlfriend's niece, Debbie (Chloë Sevigny), goes with him. She also winds up at Trees Lounge, where she lies to the bartender by saying she's Tommy's girlfriend, so she'll be served. This serves as a catalyst for most of the film's events, including bar fights, arguments with old friends, late-night discussions about life, and too much drinking.
Five Actors From 'The Sopranos' Are in the Movie
Steve Buscemi was notably in the fifth season of The Sopranos as Tony's cousin, Tony Blundetto. Referred to as Tony B., the character was introduced to the show after he got out of jail and tried to reintegrate into society without getting the North Jersey mob involved. Of course, that didn't pan out for Tony B., and he inevitably started doing business with Tony, leading to a fatal altercation involving an incident with the New York mob.
Buscemi wasn't the only actor from Trees Lounge that ended up on The Sopranos, though. Elizabeth Bracco starred as Tommy's ex-girlfriend Theresa in the movie, and also played Vito Spatafore's wife Marie in season six of The Sopranos.
John Ventimiglia, who played Tony's high school buddy and owner of the Vesuvio restaurant in the show, was also in the movie. He played Johnny, a friend of Tommy's. The late Susan Shepherd, who played Carmela's mom Mary in the show, was also in the movie as Jackie. Most notably, Michael Imperioli was in the film as George, another friend of Tommy's. Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, Tony's self-destructive nephew who devoted his life in the mob to pleasing Tony.
How David Chase Was Inspired by 'Trees Lounge'
David Chase loved Trees Lounge and Buscemi's work so much that it triggered a working relationship between the two. Chase had Buscemi direct four episodes of the show throughout seasons three through six. Buscemi directed one of the most celebrated episodes of the entire series, "Pine Barrens", from season three. In addition to eventually casting him in the show and letting him direct four episodes, Chase also hired the same casting directors Buscemi used for Trees Lounge when casting The Sopranos.
Chase praised Buscemi's work in his book, The Sopranos Sessions, a compilation of conversations and essays about the entire show. He praised Trees Lounge for being well-directed, clear, and not baroque. He also said that it is a great film about the small and sad realities people face in life. Trees Lounge has a slice-of-life feel when it comes to the inevitable realities of the world that Chase incorporated into the show. The acting, writing, and directing capabilities of Buscemi are partially to thank for the outstanding piece of television that was The Sopranos.
Why It's Worth a Watch
As Roger Ebert stated, Trees Lounge is a realistic depiction of alcoholism through the character of Tommy. As a dark comedy, it certainly has humorous moments, but there is a sincere, serious undertone beneath the more comedic moments. Ultimately, it is a film about the self-destructive tendencies that alcohol-dependent people often exhibit. Buscemi balances comedy well with drama in this film, understanding that many comedic beats follow rather sad moments that can be used as a form of dark humor.
Related 10 Underrated Steve Buscemi Movies Waiting To Be Rediscovered
With such a prolific career, there are a ton of underrated Steve Buscemi movies just waiting to be rediscovered.
Posts 1
Balancing comedy and drama in a story about something as serious and common as alcoholism is often a difficult task. It usually leans too much into one genre rather than blending them. Or, it will often try to be serious and instead come across as funny. Buscemi manages to blend both genres nearly perfectly without losing sight of the message he wanted to get across.