The movie begins with Eddie and his sons Jay and Arty making a hot automobile ride to see the boys' grandmother in Yonkers during World War II (no air conditioning, except in theaters). The boys are told to wait in the grandmother's candy store until their grandmother is ready to see them. At the store, the boys meet their crazy Aunt Bella. Then they come upstairs and find out the real reason for their visit: their father has to take a job down South to pay off their debts, and since their mother has just died, he has no choice but to leave the boys with their grandmother, who doesn't like kids to begin with.
The boys have to make the best of the situation, and of course their grandmother is very strict and expects them to work in the candy store. Meanwhile, Bella has a boyfriend Johnny, a movie usher who cannot serve in the military because, like Bella, he is disabled. They want to open a restaurant and Bella's mother has the money hidden somewhere. The boys try to find the money and manage to get in trouble for that and other things. Later, their Uncle Louie shows up and shows the boys a good time, though the boys believe he is a gangster, and there are some bad guys after him for whatever reason. Jay wants to work with his uncle, even if he is dishonest in what he does.
Mercedes Ruehl was the standout performer, showing a character obviously quite disturbed at first but almost 'normal' later, especially when she confronts the mother who has mistreated her all these years. Irene Worth made a stern grandmother who only rarely showed a tender side, and even after a bitter argument with Bella, she was only subdued but not loving (we do learn some of what made her this way). Richard Dreyfuss came across quite nicely too, and I thought all the major actors played their characters well. The situation just wasn't one I enjoyed watching that much.
One character I was glad to see only a few times was Aunt Gert, who had a breathing problem that grew tiring quickly.
This movie was not easy to watch, though it could be funny at times. Based on a Neil Simon play, it should have been a mix of comedy and poignant drama, and sometimes that mix works. For me it didn't, and about two-thirds of the way through, the movie went completely off track and never really recovered. I can see some people liking this type of movie, but it wasn't really for me.
