Palmer and Somewhere In Queens. If you do nothing else this year, watch these two movies. They run the gamut of emotions, the acting is phenomenal and they will melt your heart. I’d never heard of either of these movies, we just happened upon them when looking for something to watch. I’m so grateful we found them. These movies will stay with me forever. They both touch on families that are struggling,  albeit, each very, differently. They will have you rooting for them, laughing with them, afraid for them, and crying with them.

Do yourself a favor and watch both of these movies. You’ll be glad you did.

Somewhere in Queens

Somewhere in Queens tells the story of Leo Russo (Ray Romano) and his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) who live a simple life in Queens, NY with Leo’s close-knit circle of Italian-American relatives and friends. They are two loving but flawed parents of their son, “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), and they do the best they can to support their athletically gifted son who suffers from severe anxiety.  (This is Ray Romano’s directorial debut.)

The superb acting by Laurie Metcalf and Jacob Ward was especially noteworthy.

This wonderful movie is about father and son relationships, aging, life and challenges, expectations and disappointments, and mental health. 

I thought I wasn’t going to like this movie when it first started but it didn’t take long before I was completely engaged. There was one event in the movie that felt unrealistic but the ending was so beautiful it can be forgiven.  

Palmer

Palmer tells the story of Eddie Palmer (Justin Timberlake) a former high school football star and ex-felon who has been released from prison after serving 12 years for attempted murder and armed robbery. He moves in with his grandmother Vivian, who occasionally watches over a flamboyant young boy named Sam (Ryder Allen), the son of her neighbor Shelly, a drug addict.

This wonderful movie is about accepting someone different and second chances to redeem oneself for past mistakes.

The acting was absolutely Oscar-worthy from both Justin Timberlake and Ryder Allen. 

This movie has you cheering for the hope in humanity. It has a protagonist you want to root for and a little boy who will break your heart.

Ignore the professional reviews for Palmer at 72%, the audience reviews were 88%. Somewhere in Queens came in at 91% from the professionals and 92% from the audience. Watch them both, they’re fantastic.

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