Lost in Yonkers (1993)
Review by HTQ4
Film:
DVD:

Written by Neil Simon, based on his play
Directed by Martha Coolidge
Starring Mercedes Ruehl, Richard Dreyfuss, Irene Worth, Mark Stoll and Mike Damus

Features:

• Trailers
  

My Advice: Rent it

Jay and Arty (Stoll and Damus) are taken to Yonkers, NY to live with their strict German Grandma Kurnitz (Worth) and their Aunt Bella (Ruehl). You see, their dad has fallen on tough times at the outset of WWII (their mom passed away several years previously) so, he's got to go out around the country selling stuff to try to pay back a loan shark. During that summer, they learn a lot about their family and even more about themselves.

Neil Simon has to be one of the most prolific playwrights in American theatre history. His best known, of course, is The Odd Couple, but his lesser known plays are the ones that most of the time contain the real portraits of humanity. In this film adaptation, the two "stars" are Dreyfuss and Ruehl, and they do not disappoint. Their performances are strong and they seem to understand the world of the play very well. The weakness of this movie is in the other cast members, and indeed, some of the writing. Irene Worth is borderline evil as Grandma Kurnitz. Her character is so downright mean that she really doesn't allow for a believable journey to an actual loving grandmother. The boys are charming, but they just didn't have the depth to really take any type of journey at all. The world of circa WWII upstate New York was carried out very thoroughly and believably and the direction of the film seemed to be strong as well. But the biggest problem with the film was the weakness of the principal cast as contrasted by the strength of the supporting cast.

DVD presentation here is very weak; none of the stuff makes for a really great package. All you get here is a couple of trailers: this film, A League of Their Own, and A Soldier's Story. What more can you really say? At least it's an anamorphic presentation, right?

So, the movie is worth adding to your collection only if you are the most dedicated of Neil Simon fans. The rest of us should rent it to remember this film and then move on.