Character actor Steve Buscemi made his debut as a writer and director with this serio-comic tale of a guy who is going through something but doesnt know just what it is. Tommy is a 31-year-old auto mechanic who lost his last job after borrowing $1500 from the cash register and heading to Atlantic City, where he wasted no time in losing it all at the tables. The fact that he cant get his own car to run isnt impressing any prospective employers, so Tommy spends much of his time at the Trees Lounge, a local watering hole (Tommy conveniently lives in an apartment upstairs). Eventually Tommy lands some work driving an ice cream truck and becomes reacquainted with his niece, Debbie (Chloe Sevigny), who has just turned 17. When they half-heartedly fall into a romance, its just one more thing for Tommy to be confused about. Buscemi draws upon a rich cast of supporitng actors, including Elizabeth Bracco, Anthony LaPaglia, Carol Kane, Debi Mazar, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mimi Rogers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide