Steve Buscemi acted in several of the most memorable American films of recent years and was given a chance to learn first hand from the Coen Brothers, Abel Ferrara, Jim Jarmusch, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. For his début as feature director however, he largely allowed himself to be inspired by the way in which the godfather of the American independents, John Cassavetes, succeeded in having the characters and their mutual relationships tell the story of the film. In addition Buscemi draws on his own experiences. What would have become of him if he had not moved from Valley Stream, Long Island, to Manhattan to pursue a career as actor? Trees Lounge is based on this fictional detail. Buscemi himself plays the leading role of Tommy Basilio, a sharp tongued, funny but easily irritated man in his thirties. He spends most of his time drinking and picking up girls in the Trees Lounge in working-class Valley Stream, after he loses his job as auto-mechanic for ‘borrowing’ 1500 dollar. When an uncle dies, he takes over his ice-cream truck, but that only leads to more trouble when he pays a little too much attention to Debbie (17) for the likes of her father. Trees Lounge is a film full of working-class misfits, who can’t seem to find their place in life as easily as the bar.
