I’ve witnessed the Golden Palace of the Himalayas. Puberty is behind me! Let's move on! Brighton Beach Memoirs comes from director Gene Saks and was adapted by Neil Simon from his own play. The cast includes Jonathan Silverman, Blythe Danner, Judith Ivey, Bob Dishy, Stacey Glick, Lisa Waltz, and Brian Dillinger. Michael Small composed the music, and John Bailey handled the cinematography. This film is the initial installment of a planned trilogy exploring the experiences and growth drawn from Neil Simon’s life. In these three productions, he uses the name Eugene Morris Jerome, portrayed by Silverman in this one, then Matthew Broderick in *Biloxi Blues* (1988), and Corey Parker in *Broadway Bound* (1992). The story unfolds in 1937 Brooklyn, New York, where a young Polish-Jewish American named Eugene is experiencing the changes of adolescence within a crowded family home. Since I’d never seen a Neil Simon play before—I have no experience with this or *Biloxi Blues*, which I enjoy quite a bit—I'm assessing it purely as a film. It provides much of the quick, sharp humor that was characteristic of the gifted writer. The younger Eugene has aspirations of being both an athlete and a professional writer, and his literary inclinations are apparent in his conversations with his family and directly to the audience. He’s the one running errands for his family, beholden to his mother's affection and strong will, as if dealing with puberty wasn't difficult enough! While primarily driven by humor, serious themes of family values consistently emerge. Gambling addiction is also present, along with intense sibling rivalry that develops later in life. The story includes a poignant element about Polish relatives seeking a better existence in New York. I can’t comment on the accuracy of the accents or racial representation, but the sense of time and place—the film was shot on location—is well-done; all the actors seem connected to the various themes within the material. It's not for everyone, certainly, but those who don’t mind a closeness to the stage play and appreciate the lively dialogue found in other Neil Simon film adaptations will likely find this enjoyable. 8/10

Source on TMDB