showin' us moxy...
Added 4/11/2009
"lost in yonkers" is a screen adaptation of neil simon's play of the same name, and it couldn't have been done better. it is the story of a man forced to leave his two sons with his strict old mother; a woman for whom showing affection and approval is a sign of weakness. the boys are doted on by their lively, child-like aunt bella who takes care of their aged grandmother, and is a compelling character as sweet as she is ditsy. together they grow up over a summer, in a sense, and slough of the disapproving ties that would bind their loving spirits. this tale is woven with humor, heart, and prime acting from a lovable cast. clean and family friendly, it is sure to put a smile on its viewers' faces.
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EXCELLENT!
Added 3/7/2009
Lost in Yonkers on DVD! Who would ever think! I remember back in the day, I hard a hard time finding it on VHS! Leave it to Amazon! You can find virtually anything you have ever dreamed of at Amazon.com - What a great service - it's all at our fingertips. Shipping is much quicker than they originally state (at least for all of my past orders), and the items are as good or better than they state! The prices are great (you can compare and pick from the listed choices of different vendors offering the product). I am a very satisfied customer!
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Life Lessons
Added 1/23/2009
I found that the importance of loving your children was emphasized in this film. This dysfunctinal family was a direct result of the parents not loving their children. Every child of the grandmother in the film had emotional problems that were a direct result of verbal and in some cases physical abuse. It is only by the grace of God that parents can raise their children properly. Grace was rejected in this family.
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Don't be fooled by the advertising...
Added 12/5/2008
In the 1940's, two young boys, Jay and Artie, are sent by their father to live with their cold-hearted grandmother (Irene Worth) and kind but slow aunt Bella (Mercedes Ruehl), in Yonkers. Things look grim for the boys, until their uncle Louie (Richard Dreyfuss), a small-time gangster, shows up and livens up their otherwise dull lives.
Given the fact that (a) "Lost in Yonkers" is written by Neil Simon, a man famous for writing comedies, such as "The Odd Couple"; (b) the posters/cover artwork for "Lost in Yonkers" makes it look like a comedy; and (c) the DVD case actually describes this film as a comedy, you could be forgiven for mistaking "Lost in Yonkers" for a comedy. It's not. There are one or two laughs in "Lost in Yonkers", but one or two jokes does not make a comedy. "Lost in Yonkers" is, in fact, the most serious Neil Simon movie that I have seen.
Simon won the Pulitzer Prize for the play upon which this film was based and while watching it, I couldn't help but feeling that Simon was deliberately aiming for such a prize while writing it. It is as if Simon were deliberately trying to press all the right buttons in the judges - a coming of age story; morality issues; mentally-challenged characters; family; the search for love. It's all here. Obviously the judges fell for Simon's plan, hook, line and sinker, but as an ordinary audience member, I just came away feeling emotionally manipulated. At the end of the film, I didn't see characters such as Bella and the grandmother as real people, I saw them as contrived vehicles for critic-pleasing monologues.
I believe Neil Simon is a great playwright, in fact, I see him as one of the great playwrights of the 20th century. Through his Eugene Jerome plays (in particular, "Biloxi Blues"), Simon demonstrated that it is possible to write an entertaining comedy that touches on serious issues. Yet, Simon doesn't do that here. He gives us the issues without the comedy. As a result, "Lost in Yonkers" is the first Neil Simon film/play I have seen that I haven't enjoyed. I recommend you watch another one of his films/plays, instead.
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The play is better
Added 2/26/2008
I bought this to show my students who had just finished reading the play in class. They were mixed and many found the play to be far more entertaining (including myself).
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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showin' us moxy...
Added 4/11/2009
"lost in yonkers" is a screen adaptation of neil simon's play of the same name, and it couldn't have been done better. it is the story of a man forced to leave his two sons with his strict old mother; a woman for whom showing affection and approval is a sign of weakness. the boys are doted on by their lively, child-like aunt bella who takes care of their aged grandmother, and is a compelling character as sweet as she is ditsy. together they grow up over a summer, in a sense, and slough of the disapproving ties that would bind their loving spirits. this tale is woven with humor, heart, and prime acting from a lovable cast. clean and family friendly, it is sure to put a smile on its viewers' faces.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
EXCELLENT!
Added 3/7/2009
Lost in Yonkers on DVD! Who would ever think! I remember back in the day, I hard a hard time finding it on VHS! Leave it to Amazon! You can find virtually anything you have ever dreamed of at Amazon.com - What a great service - it's all at our fingertips. Shipping is much quicker than they originally state (at least for all of my past orders), and the items are as good or better than they state! The prices are great (you can compare and pick from the listed choices of different vendors offering the product). I am a very satisfied customer!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Life Lessons
Added 1/23/2009
I found that the importance of loving your children was emphasized in this film. This dysfunctinal family was a direct result of the parents not loving their children. Every child of the grandmother in the film had emotional problems that were a direct result of verbal and in some cases physical abuse. It is only by the grace of God that parents can raise their children properly. Grace was rejected in this family.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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