Search - Romantic Comedies - Neil Simon's 'The Sunshine Boys', 'Jake's Women' and 'London Suite' on DVD

Neil Simon 3-Pack Contents

Donald J. Lloyd | Park Forest, IL USA | 11/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This set consists of three made-for-tv movies: The Sunshine Boys with Woody Allen, Peter Falk and Sarah Jessica Parker; Jake's Women with Alan Alda, Mira Sorvino, Anne Archer, Lolita Davidovich, Julie Kavner, Joyce Van Patten; London Suite with Kelsey Grammer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Madeline Kahn, Julie Hagerty, Richard Mulligan, Patricia Clarkson. All are full-frame because in mid-1990's made-for-TV movies were not usually made widescreen. Each runs about 90 minutes. All three are very good. I especially like The Sunshine Boys because of the good acting of the classic original play (opened up for TV). A good value, highly recommended set, all films beautifully acted & directed."

Neil Simon on Network TV

Movie Mania | Southern Calfornia | 03/17/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Neil Simon is the best American playwright of the last half of the twentieth century. During the 60's, 70's and 80's he was a staple of Broadway. And most of these plays were successfully transfered to the movies.

But in the 90's Neil was still writing great plays but Hollywood had no place for them. In come CBS, where Neil got his start.

*** The Sunshine Boys - They started by doing a remake with comic guru Woody Allen and comic genius Peter Falk. The problem was the movie version with Walter Matthau and George Burns was already a classic and this did not measure up to it. But as a stand alone is half gem and half miss. Falk being the Gem and Allen being the miss. But overall this is enjoyable.

*****Jake's Women - This is one in a line of autobiographical plays that Simon wrote starting with the brilliant Brighton Beach Memoirs. This is about Simon after his divorce from Marsha Mason. Jake (Alan Alda) is a writer who is recovering from a divorce and is visited by the women of his life. Alda credated the role on Broadway (and I saw him in LA) and is absolutely perfection. The large supporting cast of women is a great collection of television vetran and the only complaint is each gets their scene but we all want more.

** London Suite - This is the third of Simon's Suite plays (Plaza and California are the first two). Unfortunately, this is the most muddled. The play is usually four one act plays that all take place in the same suite of a hotel with the same actors in each act. The film of Plaza Suite they kept this premise with Walter Matthau in all four acts with different leading ladies. In California Suite, they had all four stories going on at the same time. Both worked well. But having all four stories going on at the same time in this becomes a mismash. And the cast is second rate.

If you are a Simon fan, then buy this set (I am and have.) but if you are not then buy Jake's Women as this is a masterpiece."