A Sun-Soaked Coming-of-Age Story with SNL Soul
“When Staten Island Summer” debuted in 2015, it was more than a simple teen comedy – it was a nostalgic, sentimental tribute to friendships, the formation of one’s identity, and the summers that are so influential but so ephemeral. The film had Lorne Michael’s production attention, and was scripted by SNL writer Colin Jost, and carried the unmistakable construction of SNL’s trademark humor: sharp, surreal, and profoundly rooted in the humor of social unease. Beyond the humor and the pool chaos, Staten Island Summer captured the bittersweet essence of growing up and the moving on that summers force upon us.
Directed by Rhys Thomas, also SNL affiliated, the film brings together a dynamic ensemble of performers. The story centers around Danny (Graham Phillips) and Frank (Zack Pealman), best friends and lifeguards during the final summer before college. What begins as a mundane job transforms spectacularly into a riot of neighborhood drama, crushes, parties, and emotional farewells.
Staten Island Summer is so much more than a typical summer coming-of-age story, and the spirit of the film is what makes it unique. You can sense the lines, and every scene, coming straight from Jost’s life.
The Real Story Behind the Fiction
Prior to becoming a well-known figure as co-anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, Colin Jost was just another kid from Staten Island, passionate about writing and comedy. Staten Island Summer is, in a way, Jost’s cinematic diary and is a funny and embellished depiction of his teenage years.
Growing up on Staten Island, and its unpredictable social climate and atmospheres was the framework for Jost’s movie. The film captures the essence of the ‘small town’ lifeguard summer crew and the bustling suburb’s busybody neighbor and their desire to meddle. All the characters and their caricatures, possess a layer of reality: the laid-back swim coach, the capture-the-flag ma, and the other grown-up Summer folks.
What makes the film comedy better is the ability to hover between incisive and absurd. Most summer and teen ‘coming of age’ films rely on crude and shock comedy, while Staten Island Summer captures ‘quirky’ laughter as a value in comedy in the film. The Summer ‘freak’ is present, eager as always to entertain nonsense and the doormat is always present, stuck on their Summer routine.
The Cast: A Perfect Mix of New and Familiar
Graham Phillips, recognized from The Good Wife, portrays Danny with understated sincerity – the quiet, contemplative one who wishes to exchange Staten Island for college. His chemistry with Zack Pearlman (Frank) forms the movie’s vital core. Pearlman’s brash, impulsive, and unfiltered energy provides strong equilibrium to the calm and poised Phillips.
What really gives Staten Island Summer the comedic edge are the SNL alumni crossed throughout the cast. Bobby Moynihan, Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, Will Forte, Mike O’Brien, and Kate McKinnon all make memorable and distinctive appearances, each contributing to the absurdity of the film. Their presence lends the film that badge of honor of SNL sketch, with the humor seemingly emerging from improvs.
Ashley Greene (Twilight) plays Krystal – Danny’s unachievable high school crush. Her presence contributes to the nostalgia of the classic teen movie, and with the film’s maturity, it escapes the cliches that characterize such roles. Instead, she seamlessly integrates into Danny’s arc of self-realization.
A Love Letter to Staten Island and to Youth Itself
Although it is a comedy, Staten Island Summer still manages to be somewhat sentimental with its setting. Staten Island is not a mere backdrop; it is a character in its own right. Boardwalks, pool parties, and community gossip are local to Staten Island, timeless, and universal.
Culturally, there is familiarity for Indian audiences. Indian small towns and neighborhoods, like Staten Island, are intimate and possess their own cast of colorful personalities, and have an “everyone knows everyone” vibe. The film captures that essence, where the entertainment of the community revolves around the comings and goings of the businesses, and where the bonds of friendship are a matter of survival.
The emotional thread of leaving home is also profound. The film’s bittersweet tone, a mix of comfort and curiosity, nostalgia and ambition, resonates with many Indian students who leave their hometowns for college or work.
Behind the Scenes: The SNL Family Reunion
One reason the movie seems so naturally funny is that the people behind it have worked together for so many years. Rhys Thomas, who directed several SNL short films, transferred that same free-flowing comic timing to Staten Island Summer.
Many scenes were improvised during production, and actors were allowed to deviate from the script and experiment with different reactions, which is a signature aspect of the creativity at SNL. The cast, like their characters, is reported to have also bonded off-set. Colin Jost, in interviews, mentioned that filming felt like “a summer camp with old friends,” which adds to the authenticity that audiences feel onscreen.
In contrast to the theatrical release that was typical during the period, the film was released on Netflix. This was a strategic move, considering the digital viewing culture that was on the rise. The film quickly attracted its audience, particularly young adults, who appreciated its humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt moments.
What the Audience Missed
Although Staten Island Summer is full of fun gags and physical comedy, its emotional layers can be easily overlooked. There is a subtle poetry in how it handles endings. Not just the end of summer but the end of youth. Danny’s trepidation to leave his hometown and the longing it will carry is a universal fear. What if moving on means leaving a part of you behind?
There is also a subtle reminder of the inequities of class in the background. Staten Island may be seen as New York’s “forgotten borough,” but it can stand on its own as a symbol for anyone who’s felt overlooked in any context. The film also implied that growing up is an escape in a rebirth. The escape is to learn to appreciate your roots, not to lose them.
The Heart Behind the Humor
The beauty of Staten Island Summer is that it is relatable and doesn’t try too hard to be profound. There is also an emotional chaos to it that is present in the film. Colin Jost’s writing captures both elements cleverly and with an apt balance. He captures the emotional chaos and disorder without glorifying youth.
In many ways, Staten Island Summer feels like an early chapter in the book of Jost’s career. Before fame, before Weekend Update, and most importantly, before the scripted lifeline, this was Jost.
That is why the film endures. It might seem like there is just surface-level silliness and fun in the film, but what lies underneath is something very relatable and human. We all have that one classic summer that we’ll never forget, the one that changed everything, signalling the end of childhood and moving into adulthood.
A few years later, Staten Island Summer captures that same nostalgic postcard feel, even if it is a little faded around the edges. For it, the goal is not perfect articulation, but rather the articulation of the emotion that surrounds the film. In that, it captures something that is truly timeless, the coming of age comedy.
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