The third of Neil Simon's autobiographical plays (and only one filmed for television rather than the big screen) is a starry film that focuses on the fictional version of young Neil (Jonathan Silverman) getting a job as a writer for radio at CBS and the impact that it has on his family. They're already going through several crisis as parents Anne Bancroft and Jerry Orbach are having serious marital problems and grandfather Hume Cronyn has issues with a changing world, feeling unappreciated by other daughter Michelle Lee who's married a rich man.
For Silverman and fellow writer brother Corey Parker, difficulties with their father often disrupts into fights, and while their mother obviously loves them, she's not really an affectionate woman, revealing her issues with her own mother. But when she gets going with a story from the past (such as her crush on George Raft), she's quite funny and open. This is more slice of life oriented than ploy, but it's strong, revealing nostalgia, how many families lived, and beautifully acted. A radio broadcast featuring the voices of Marilyn Cooper and Jack Carter is a highlight, especially with Bancroft's reaction to Cooper's inscesent jibber jabber.
For Silverman and fellow writer brother Corey Parker, difficulties with their father often disrupts into fights, and while their mother obviously loves them, she's not really an affectionate woman, revealing her issues with her own mother. But when she gets going with a story from the past (such as her crush on George Raft), she's quite funny and open. This is more slice of life oriented than ploy, but it's strong, revealing nostalgia, how many families lived, and beautifully acted. A radio broadcast featuring the voices of Marilyn Cooper and Jack Carter is a highlight, especially with Bancroft's reaction to Cooper's inscesent jibber jabber.