A Babel of words

I've recently watched two fascinating programs inspired by the lives of two well-known comedians in a fascinating blend of semi-autobiographical drams, which were both great viewing experiences.

The first was Pete Davidson's stand-alone feature film, the King of Stanton Island. I've been a fan of Davidson after following his stand up routines and characters on SNL. He has always used his life in his comedy, including his struggle with mental health, Crohn's disease, drug use and losing his father in the September 11 World Trade Centre terrorist attack in 2001.

Director Judd Apatow, SNL writer David Sirus and Pete Davidson came together to pen the King of Staten Island script, which to some elements of Davidson's private life, to create a wonderfully complex mixture of comedy and drama, which is both entertaining and poignant.

The plot focuses on the life of Scott Carlin, a twenty-four-year-old high school dropout who lives with his mother and sister on Staten Island. Scott has never really gotten over the trauma of the death of his firefighter father in a hotel fire when he was seven. Scott also deals with ADHD and Chrones. He deals with his traumas by smoking marijuana and hanging out with his friends. Scott dreams of being a tattoo artist and practices his designs on his friends, but he never really works seriously on anything.

Through a series of coincidences, Scott introduces his mother, Margie, to Ray, a firefighter who starts a relationship with her. As the two begin seeing one another, Scott's comfortable existence is disturbed, and he is forced to address the problems in his life.

Without revealing too much of the complex plot, Scott gradually comes to terms with the trauma holding him back, and the movie ends on an encouraging and hopeful note. Even though Scott is flawed, his complex and realistic journey makes his character feel like a natural person. Davidson is a likeable and endearing character actor who has created a stunning performance.

The King of Staten Island is an incredibly unique and individual story to which Davidson lent many personal elements. This balance between autobiography and fiction has created something genuine yet dramatic, which reflects all of the complexities of an authentic life.

The second semi-autobiographical creation is Amy Schumer's comedy-drama series Life & Beth, whose first season is available on Disney plus. While being a little less dramatic than the King of Staten Island, Life & Beth doesn't shy away from sharing personal elements from Schumer's childhood.

The first two episodes were a little slow, a bit stilted and contrived, but as you get to know the main character of Beth and the vivid personalities of those around her, you are slowly drawn into the story.

Schumer's series is very character-driven and structured like Schumer's standup comedy narrative, filled with well-defined punchlines and character projection. Schumer herself says she drew inspiration from her childhood and took liberties with her characters.

Amy Schumer developed the show while pregnant with her son, after skimming through her old journals and revisiting some childhood memories. The main character Beth is forced to re-examine her life and address some deep childhood trauma after the sudden death of her mother.

Even though Schumer's mother is still very much alive, she was able to address more significant issues like sexuality, bullying, divorce, adolescence, family and personal relationships and trauma through the character journey of Beth.

Life & Beth is set to return for a second season, and it's going to be fascinating to see which direction Schumer will take Beth in.