Synopsis

After losing his job as an auto mechanic and his longtime girlfriend, Tommy Basilio drifts through a small Long Island town, spending most of his days drinking at the Trees Lounge bar. As friends and acquaintances make their own messy choices, Tommy pursues a series of ill-advised relationships and temporary schemes while avoiding the consequences of his increasingly stagnant life.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was made on an estimated $1.3 million budget during a 24-day shooting schedule.

• Although the story is fictional, it was described as being based on the writer's own experiences and observations of working-class life on Long Island.

• Filming took place in Queens, Brooklyn, Valley Stream, and other New York locations. The bar used for the Trees Lounge exterior was the Assembly Bar in Glendale, Queens.

• Several members of the Buscemi family appear in small roles. Michael Buscemi plays Tommy's brother, while Steve Buscemi's father and son also appear.

• The film premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section before receiving a limited U.S. theatrical release on October 11, 1996.

• A continuity change involving ice in a drink during the opening credits was intentional. The difference signals that time has passed inside the bar.

• The film later became associated with the early creative influences behind *The Sopranos*. Its depiction of suburban dysfunction helped establish a connection between Buscemi and series creator David Chase.