Brighton Beach Memoirs

A Comedy-Drama Masterpiece
Five stars for the story; four stars for the DVD only because I cannot fathom why - with all the advancing technology and options available - any DVD theatrical release would not be offered in a wide-screen format. Otherwise this has to be the best Neil Simon work I have ever seen. Although I am from a much newer generation, I could identify easily with many of the characters, both from similar personal experiences, and from the culture within which I was raised. I would highly recommend this film, but only to true drama fans (of any age) and to older generations who have lived the times portrayed in this delightful romp. There is mild adult content, so be wary if you allow your young teens to watch. This is one of those rare classics that never received the publicity it deserved on the big screen; but then it can only appeal to a certain audience. If you feel like going out on a limb and watching something different or you want to conjure up old memories of yester-year, then by...

Family Fun for all!
I loved this movie. I had to watch it a few times to get the gist of it. But once I did, it became one of my top 10 cult classics. Jonathon Silverman is so funny. Just hearing Blythe Danner scream "Eugene" is enough to make me laugh. This is in the same category with "A Christmas Story" (about the BB gun). I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS MOVIE. NEIL SIMON IS A GENIUS. After you watch this movie, see the sequel "Biloxi Blues" with Matthew Broadrick.

"I have seen the Golden Palace Of The Himalayas..."
If you're a fan of Neil Simon's then "Brighton Beach Memoirs"(1986) is a must-see. This is a well-made movie with an amazing ensemble cast and witty dialogue that had me laughing out loud. Eugene (Jonathan Silverman), a Jewish teenager, narrates the story of his time as an adolescent, growing up amidst a close-knit Jewish family in 1930s Brooklyn, comprising dad, Jack (Bob Dishy), mom Kate (Blythe Danner), brother Stanley (Brian Dillinger), widowed aunt Blanche (Judith Ivey), and cousins Nora (Lisa Waltz) and Laurie (Stacey Glick). Eugene's dad is a hardworking man who tries to manage the family on his meager income, supplemented by the wages of his older son Stanley who works for a haberdasher/slave driver Mr. Stroheim (Steven Hill). The performances of the ensemble cast, especially the comical antics of the lead performer (Silverman) coupled with the creative dialogue make this an immensely entertaining watch. I loved the way family dynamics were explored in this movie - how Eugene...

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