This movie is an excellent screen adaptation of a great play. Instead of being hokey or sentimental, the story provides a candid portrayal of a family in crisis, as each family member is forced to deal with issues that have long repressed. Essentially, the story centers around the relationship between an overbearing mother, performed magnificently by Irene Worth, and her confused daughter, played by Mercedes Ruehl. Ms. Ruehl's performance is a tour-de-force. She completely dominates this movie. The climactic scene between the mother and daughter is both poignant and powerful, and raises this movie to the level of great cinema and drama. Richard Dreyfuss also gives a strong performance as the brother with the bravado but also with a heart. This movie should be a must-watch for anyone who likes screen adaptations of plays and for people in general who like strong drama.
Lost in Yonkers
1993
Action / Comedy / Drama
Lost in Yonkers
1993
Action / Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
In 1942 in the Bronx, Evelyn Kurnitz has just passed away following a lengthy illness. Her husband, Eddie Kurnitz, needs to take a job as a traveling salesman to pay off the medical bills incurred, and decides to ask his stern and straight talking mother, from who he is slightly estranged, if his two early-teen sons, Jay and Arty (who their Grandma call by their full given names, Yakob and Arthur),can live with her and their Aunt Bella Kurnitz in Yonkers. She reluctantly agrees after a threat by Bella. Despite their Grandma owning and operating a candy store, Jay and Arty don't like their new living situation as they're afraid of their Grandma, and find it difficult to relate to their crazy Aunt Bella, whose slow mental state is manifested by perpetual excitability and a short attention span, which outwardly comes across as a childlike demeanor. Into their collective lives returns one of Eddie and Bella's other siblings, Louie Kurnitz, a henchman for some gangsters. He is hiding out from Hollywood Harry, who wants what Louie stole and is hiding in his small black bag. Jay and Arty's mission becomes how to make money fast so that they can help their father and move back in together, that money which may entail stealing the $15,000 their Grandma has hidden somewhere. Bella's mission is to find a way to tell the family that she wants to get married to Johnny, her equally slow movie theater usher boyfriend, the two who could also use $5,000 of her mother's money to open their dream restaurant. And Louie's mission is to survive the next couple of days.
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Excellent screen adaptation of a great play.
Mercedes Ruehl delivers compelling character
It's the summer of 1942. Eddie Kurnitz just lost his wife and drives his two boys to live with their grandma (Irene Worth) and unstable childlike aunt Bella (Mercedes Ruehl) in Yonkers while he goes on the road for a job. Grandma owns a candy store but she's a stern woman. She has a boyfriend named Johnny (David Strathairn) who is also slow. They need $5k to open a restaurant and Bella tells the boys that grandma has hidden a large sum somewhere. The boys go sneaking around trying to find it. Uncle Louie Kurnitz (Richard Dreyfuss) is a bagman and henchman. He comes home one night to hide out from gangster Hollywood Harry. He has a black bag which he tells the boys not to touch.
The boys aren't the most charismatic. The problem is that the movie needs to be seen through their eyes. It has to be their movie. The boys are more annoying sneaky money-grubbing brats than adorable kids. Mercedes is wonderful. She's the standout performance and her character is the heart of the movie. The movie is a little quirky but there is nothing funny about it. Director Martha Coolidge isn't able to inject much style into the movie. The movie needs a good soundtrack from the era.
Great comedy drama
This is based on a Tony Award winning Neil Simon play. In 1942 an unemployed widowed father leaves his two young sons to live with his tyrannical mother (Irene Worth) while he searches for work. Also around is Bella (Mercedes Ruehl) who is 36 but mentally 16 and Louie (Richard Dreyfuss) who has gotten involved with gangsters.
Great movie. They perfectly captured the 1940s look and feel. Also the script is great. Unlike other Simon pictures (which are little more than one joke after another) this perfectly mixes the comedy and drama. The acting is mostly fantastic. Worth is a little one note but Dreyfuss and especially Ruehl are incredible in their roles. This was not a big hit and unjustly overlooked at the Oscars for acting but it's well worth catching.