The Sunshine Boys (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

John Erman

Writers (WGA):

Neil Simon (play)
Neil Simon (teleplay)

Release Date:

28 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Neil Simon wrote this updated version of his 1972 Broadway play about a film agent's efforts to recombine the once famous comedy pair Lewis and Clark...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Al Lewis
Peter Falk	...	Willie Clark
Michael McKean	...	Scott Grogan
Liev Schreiber	...	Ricky Gregg
Edie Falco
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Nancy Clark
Tyler Noyes
Olga Merediz
Andy Taylor
Jose Soto
Kirk Acevedo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Badalucco
Jennifer Esposito	...	Jeannie
Herbert Rubens	...	Murray

Also Known As:

Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

Brazil:120 min | USA:120 min (including commercials) | USA:90 min | Germany:84 min | Argentina:120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | UK:U | USA:PG-13 | Australia:G | Finland:K-3

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "The Sunshine Boys" by Neil Simonopened at the Broadhurst Theater in New York on December 20, 1972, ran for 538 performances and was nominated for the 1973 Tony Award (New York City) for the Best Play.

Quotes:

Willie Clark: I invented comedy!
Al Lewis: The same night you designed the Titanic.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Sunshine Boys (1975)

Disappointed

I was so looking forward to seeing this remake/rewrite having missed it when it was originally broadcast. I so enjoyed the original with Burns and Matthau, and always wondered what the pairing of Falk and Allen would bring to the story. Alas, very little. Allen was better than OK, but Falk seemed totally miscast. This is strange as I find his work in comedies is usually very good. But as has been mentioned in other comments here, there was absolutely no chemistry between the two actors. I think the reason was Allen took his role to a newer place while keeping the basis of the relationship between his character and Falk's true to the story. He didn't play George Burns playing Lewis. He let his personality and comic delivery take over the role. Falk, on the other hand, didn't seem to rise above the Willy Clark as done by Walter Matthau. He didn't even seem to me to have ever been Allen's comic partner. Just not his role. Unfair to compare the two versions? Perhaps, but if one is going to try and redo what was done so well before, one has to expect the yardstick to be what it is.