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Brighton Beach Memoirs Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 14 Reviews)

Works Well
This is a tale of 2 jewish families living under 1 roof in 1937. Though there are many hardships and a family crisis or two, it is tempered with a gentle humor and the fact that you really feel that everyone loves each other. Perfect casting, this is a winner. If you liked Parenthood, this should be right up your alley.

why not a contender
The script for this flick is great. So the flick has its moments. It could've been a real solid film.
What went wrong? First, casting. Eugene (Silverman) was spot-on for the role and he played the role perfectly. He should be commended for his performance. The father also, in a minor role, did the same. So congrats to them. Unfortunately you cannot ignore the rest. Feh... casting!
Really what burns this movie is the poor performance of the Jewish mothers--both Aunt Blanche and Eugene's mom. They negate the comedic effect of the movie, which is just as important as Eugene's bit. The essence here behind all the drama is Eugene versus his mother but in a light way. A funny way. But the Jewish women are harsh Valkyires; they deliver their lines without a bit of the comedic chutzpah intended.
The last strike against it is that it wavers between being a converted theater (play) script and a regular Hollywood movie. What I mean by this is that quite a few scripts have been converted to a movie style, for example Biloxi Blues the sequel, David Mamet's films, and others. Then there are those films that seem scripted, as if we are watching a theater production--a conversion from the stage to the silver screen. This can work really well. Yet the screenwriters/directors did not make a decision whether to go toward one direction or the other.
It's all a shame. Eugene's monologues with the viewer (again, something we mostly see in theater drama not movies) are golden. The jokes are great. But the rest is just poorly adapted.
Should I recommend this movie? I want to because of the plot and Eugene's performance but at the same time there are so many problems it bothers me. So here's my rec... watch the movie Biloxi Blues, the next part in the series. Biloxi Blues is a better movie, better written, better acted, etc.
Get a feel for the character. Then watch this one. If not, do not bother.

Neil Simon's Trilogy Begins
Brighton Beach Memoirs is the beginning of Neil Simon's Eugene Jerome trilogy based on his youth.

Eugene Jerome (Jonathan Silverman in his film debut) is fifteen. He is hitting the puberty and can't control thinking of it. His goal in life is to be the first Jewish pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

But his mother (Blythe Danner) has other ideas for his future. His mother runs the house with an iron fist and guilt. His father (Bob Dishy) is working two jobs just to make ends meet. His older bother Stanley, has just lost his job for talking back to his boss.

Also living with the Jerome's is Blanche's invalid sister (Judith Ivey) and her two daughters. The older one Eugene has more than a passing crush on.

The main theme of this film is too many people living in too little room with too little money. In the end all conflicts arise from this.

This is Neil Simon at his most personal. The only problem is bad casting in the lead. Jonathan Silverman never captures Eugene's spirit. He just seems to be saying the lines and doesn't seem to understand what he is saying. Matthew Broderick created the role in Los Angeles and then Broadway and won a Tony Award. Silverman just doesn't have the comic timing to pull this difficult role off.

On the other side, Blythe Danner shines as Eugene's mother Blanche. Without having to tell the audience her problems, she makes them clear with her delivery. Judith Ivey, in an early role, shows the frailty of Blanche's sister.

This is a very good film and is good background for the excellent second installment Biloxi Blues. Unfortunately, as of today, the final part, Broadway Bound has not been released on DVD.

DVD EXTRAS: None

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