The Patty Duke show was one of my favorites as a kid. "Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights" is a nicely done reunion, preserving the tone of the original show with appropriate updates. The main change is that Duke's acting has matured incredibly over the years, and her solid performance in both roles is what makes this piece work. The cast are comfortable reprising their old roles, and do a good supporting job. Duke does a good job of differentiating Patty and Cathy, much deeper than the shallow characters of the original show -- while remaining true to the originals. The movie has a few critical weak points that make it Yet Another TV Movie. First of all, the plot is merely a Disney-style formula from the 50s and 60s. No real surprises, simple characters, ending predicatble from minute 20. Penny Marshall as the antagonist is a cartoon villain (by the way, she's turning the school into a mall, not tearing it down), joined in shallowness by the principal as sidekick. Finally, the rest of the Lane family characters aren't augmented as much as Patty and Cathy over the years, and the balance suffers a little. Still, if you liked the show in the 60s, this is well worth the time. The cast enjoys the reunion, despite aging, weight, and a little trepidation over Duke's personal life back then.
The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights (1999 TV Movie)
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Good Reunion!
crazy-123 May 1999
Like visiting old friends again after over 30 years. Makes me want to again watch copies of the original shows but with more appreciation and enjoyment than ever before. Surprising to learn that Eddie Applegate is 63 and Patty only 52 yet they were high school sweethearts in the series. Oh well, guess that's show biz as they say.
Still sucking in the lowest Depths of Brooklyn
brendanchenowith8 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I loved the fact that Patty Duke made peace with this show, as it was produced during the very worst time in her personal life. I eagerly awaited this movie as I wanted to see the Lanes back together, if just for one night, but it wasn't very memorable and I really cringed when I heard that Patty and Richard were divorced.
HOLY LIFETIME TELEVISION! I would guess making the transition into the 1990's had to include a statement about how self-sufficient women don't need men in their lives, etc. - Such tripe! The timing in the delivery of the dialogue was truck-driver city - it was as if they were giving the viewing audience time to laugh hysterically, slap their knees, as well as their children, and guess what - there was no laughter.
You could lose your mind - when bad teleplays are two(thousand) of a kind!
HOLY LIFETIME TELEVISION! I would guess making the transition into the 1990's had to include a statement about how self-sufficient women don't need men in their lives, etc. - Such tripe! The timing in the delivery of the dialogue was truck-driver city - it was as if they were giving the viewing audience time to laugh hysterically, slap their knees, as well as their children, and guess what - there was no laughter.
You could lose your mind - when bad teleplays are two(thousand) of a kind!
Brooklyn Heights Revisited
pcofhod6 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
In today's world of violence, drugs, sex and other forms of mayhem, this movie would be easily swept aside and branded "lame, dumb, etc." by the public at large. Its definitely not NYPD Blue, X Files, Law & Order, or so many other TV shows, nor is it intended to be.
This movie remains true to the spirit of the 1963-1966 TV series The Patty Duke Show. Anna Marie (Patty) Duke Pearce has always been one of my very favorite actresses, and with good reason. She's done a remarkable gamut of work, and has excelled in each and every performance, even those that most find not so great, like her portrayal of a singer gone awry in Valley of the Dolls. Her work is, in my opinion, more than excellent, and she grows with each performance.
The TV series was a good, clean, fun and entertaining show about two cousins who are physically identical, but mentally and socially are very, very different. Yes, yes, we all know that identical cousins are genetically and physically impossible. The show wasn't about science, it was about teenagers and their relationships with their peers, and their family. Suspension of disbelief is used in horror movies, sci fi movies, and even some dramas, so why couldn't you use it with a family comedy series? This TV movie returns us to that medium with a story that won't win any great literary or screen awards for incredible writing and compelling drama, but the spirit of the TV series is definitely present, with appropriate updates to make it fit more in the modern era. The two girls and Ross have all grown up now. Patty's been married, and divorced, and has a son with Richard, and their son has a daughter that lives most of the time with Patty, her grandmother. Cathy's been married, and widowed, and is left in Scotland with her son. Martin and Natalie are retired, and living out of town, though they apparently journey back often. Ross is never noted as being married, but he's a successful agent on Broadway. Finally, we have Sue Ellen Turner, Patty's old arch nemesis, who's now Sue Ellen Caldwell, a rich and somewhat demented Realtor with a harebrained plot to acquire the school and turn it into a mall.
Granted, the character of Sue Ellen isn't being reprised by Kitty Sullivan, but instead by Cindy Williams, of Laverne and Shirley fame. However, Williams' spark brings the character to life, and she resembles Miss Sullivan closely enough in appearance, bearing and voice to make it believable. She lends her comic savvy to this production to make the story, while predictable, fun anyway.
The hijinks that the cast goes through in this film are amusing, even if they are a bit stale for the modern era. That, however, doesn't detract from the value, and the enjoyment factor, of bringing old friends into our living rooms once more. The characters in this movie are from a simpler, more innocent time, and that's reflected in the modern time as well. The movie does a good job of conveying that while these characters have had many life changes and many things thrown their way, they have remained true to who they were 33 years previously.
We all know that times aren't as simple today as they were when this series was on TV, but that's part of its appeal. In a world rife with corruption, death, sex, drugs, violence and more, you've got this small group of people who haven't fallen prey to that sort of thing, and eked out a life for themselves. They're managed to remain true to who and what they were, and forge ahead.
I believe that if you watch this movie with the mindset of what it is, and what its intended to be, and forget about the hangups of this is predictable, that's just too "goody goody," and so on, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised. No Oscar nominations are going to arise from this film, no awards for Best Drama, Best Picture, etc are going to be awarded to it. Instead, what will come out of this movie is a refreshing and stimulating enjoyment of a film conducted with comedy (even if it is a bit cheesy), good values, and a perfectly novel thought: the idea of a family banding together as one to achieve a common goal.
So, accept that this is a movie about a bunch of people who aren't drug dealers, Mafia bosses, or Stallone clones shooting their way through a passel of Schwarzenegger clones and you should be fine. You'll find yourself actually able to watch an entire movie with your kids or grandkids and not have to worry about them being pelted with one more scene of random violence, one more scene of gratuitous sex, drunken people falling over the screen, and cars blowing up everywhere while some guy holds a machine gun and yells obscenities down Park Avenue. Instead, you'll see a demonstration of family values, demonstrations of affection between family members, and a demonstration of how bonds form, and take hold once again, even after prolonged absences, not to mention the good guys actually winning without resorting to half the bad guy's bag of tricks to do it.
So, pop this in your DVD player, VCR, or whatever, sit back and enjoy. Its not a Shakespearean work, its not a Scorcesi film, and its not Eastwood in yet another installment of Dirty Harry. This is entertainment of a whole different color. The cast brings home some very profound and hard hitting universal truths, and several life lessons are learned during the course of this, or relearned, depending on your point of view. This isn't the way most families are, but maybe this family is the way most families should be.
This movie remains true to the spirit of the 1963-1966 TV series The Patty Duke Show. Anna Marie (Patty) Duke Pearce has always been one of my very favorite actresses, and with good reason. She's done a remarkable gamut of work, and has excelled in each and every performance, even those that most find not so great, like her portrayal of a singer gone awry in Valley of the Dolls. Her work is, in my opinion, more than excellent, and she grows with each performance.
The TV series was a good, clean, fun and entertaining show about two cousins who are physically identical, but mentally and socially are very, very different. Yes, yes, we all know that identical cousins are genetically and physically impossible. The show wasn't about science, it was about teenagers and their relationships with their peers, and their family. Suspension of disbelief is used in horror movies, sci fi movies, and even some dramas, so why couldn't you use it with a family comedy series? This TV movie returns us to that medium with a story that won't win any great literary or screen awards for incredible writing and compelling drama, but the spirit of the TV series is definitely present, with appropriate updates to make it fit more in the modern era. The two girls and Ross have all grown up now. Patty's been married, and divorced, and has a son with Richard, and their son has a daughter that lives most of the time with Patty, her grandmother. Cathy's been married, and widowed, and is left in Scotland with her son. Martin and Natalie are retired, and living out of town, though they apparently journey back often. Ross is never noted as being married, but he's a successful agent on Broadway. Finally, we have Sue Ellen Turner, Patty's old arch nemesis, who's now Sue Ellen Caldwell, a rich and somewhat demented Realtor with a harebrained plot to acquire the school and turn it into a mall.
Granted, the character of Sue Ellen isn't being reprised by Kitty Sullivan, but instead by Cindy Williams, of Laverne and Shirley fame. However, Williams' spark brings the character to life, and she resembles Miss Sullivan closely enough in appearance, bearing and voice to make it believable. She lends her comic savvy to this production to make the story, while predictable, fun anyway.
The hijinks that the cast goes through in this film are amusing, even if they are a bit stale for the modern era. That, however, doesn't detract from the value, and the enjoyment factor, of bringing old friends into our living rooms once more. The characters in this movie are from a simpler, more innocent time, and that's reflected in the modern time as well. The movie does a good job of conveying that while these characters have had many life changes and many things thrown their way, they have remained true to who they were 33 years previously.
We all know that times aren't as simple today as they were when this series was on TV, but that's part of its appeal. In a world rife with corruption, death, sex, drugs, violence and more, you've got this small group of people who haven't fallen prey to that sort of thing, and eked out a life for themselves. They're managed to remain true to who and what they were, and forge ahead.
I believe that if you watch this movie with the mindset of what it is, and what its intended to be, and forget about the hangups of this is predictable, that's just too "goody goody," and so on, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised. No Oscar nominations are going to arise from this film, no awards for Best Drama, Best Picture, etc are going to be awarded to it. Instead, what will come out of this movie is a refreshing and stimulating enjoyment of a film conducted with comedy (even if it is a bit cheesy), good values, and a perfectly novel thought: the idea of a family banding together as one to achieve a common goal.
So, accept that this is a movie about a bunch of people who aren't drug dealers, Mafia bosses, or Stallone clones shooting their way through a passel of Schwarzenegger clones and you should be fine. You'll find yourself actually able to watch an entire movie with your kids or grandkids and not have to worry about them being pelted with one more scene of random violence, one more scene of gratuitous sex, drunken people falling over the screen, and cars blowing up everywhere while some guy holds a machine gun and yells obscenities down Park Avenue. Instead, you'll see a demonstration of family values, demonstrations of affection between family members, and a demonstration of how bonds form, and take hold once again, even after prolonged absences, not to mention the good guys actually winning without resorting to half the bad guy's bag of tricks to do it.
So, pop this in your DVD player, VCR, or whatever, sit back and enjoy. Its not a Shakespearean work, its not a Scorcesi film, and its not Eastwood in yet another installment of Dirty Harry. This is entertainment of a whole different color. The cast brings home some very profound and hard hitting universal truths, and several life lessons are learned during the course of this, or relearned, depending on your point of view. This isn't the way most families are, but maybe this family is the way most families should be.
Wonderful film highligting the original shows' more innocent times.
Karadago28 April 1999
This film would not normally be considered a great film, but beacuse it stays true in reflecting the innocent times of the original 1963-66 tv seris, it works.
Patty Duke has not lost her touch and playing the genetically unexplainable identical cousins, Patty and Cathy and she looks great.
The rest of the original cast also reflect the magic they did on the original show and are still the same in personailty. The one who has probably changed the most is Jean Byron as "Mommo" and for the better. IN the original she would never have said anything salty like talking about Viagra. It's wonderful to see her so full of spunk.
Cindy Williams, who is new to the cast,is also excellent as the evil Sue Ellen. She goes way over the top with her role as you would need to.
As for the kids, Liam and Molly, both are wonderful, however, Liam's Scotch voice is kind of hard to understand.
This film achieved a lot more than any other reunion movie I have seen before. They take us into the 90s, yet, with the innocence of the early 60s.
Patty Duke has not lost her touch and playing the genetically unexplainable identical cousins, Patty and Cathy and she looks great.
The rest of the original cast also reflect the magic they did on the original show and are still the same in personailty. The one who has probably changed the most is Jean Byron as "Mommo" and for the better. IN the original she would never have said anything salty like talking about Viagra. It's wonderful to see her so full of spunk.
Cindy Williams, who is new to the cast,is also excellent as the evil Sue Ellen. She goes way over the top with her role as you would need to.
As for the kids, Liam and Molly, both are wonderful, however, Liam's Scotch voice is kind of hard to understand.
This film achieved a lot more than any other reunion movie I have seen before. They take us into the 90s, yet, with the innocence of the early 60s.
Back to Brooklyn Heights
Stebaer419 September 2005
It's fun for Nostalgia's sake even if the "Sue Ellen" is not the one from the original show's run & no wonder because even if it's not real the true actress would feel that it would deface her character.Anyhow & even if it would just be for fun I'd still like to see @ least one more sequel with the once seen Texas cousin,also played by Patty Duke."When cousins are three of a kind."And the buck doesn't even stop right there either.I'd still like this feature to be seen in reruns & released on VHS & DVD.I even remember from when I was a kid seeing these episodes in reruns.I also liked seeing in this reunion special how Patty & Richard despite being divorced are still Friends & now Patty & Cathy are even friendlier than when they were kids & as kids their friendliest time was when they were each up against their Texan cousin.The best reflection of the their 60's show in their '90's reunion is when the 2 both play Juliet in the play as a team when before they each played Cleopatra in the play but as a competition that ended up as this team up did in making it a better show & for the audience to be amused.
Truthfully ,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,MA.USA
Truthfully ,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,MA.USA
Story got tired fast
JulieKelleher579 February 2000
It was wonderful to see that Jean Byron still has the prettiest smile since Sara Allgood (How Green Was My Valley).
Otherwise, fluffy, with a script a bit on the lame, predictable side, this story got tired in a short time. I don't even think I stayed with it till the end. It was good to see the cast again, though Paul O'Keefe could have phoned his part in. Perhaps there were too many new characters to give the originals enough tube time.
Otherwise, fluffy, with a script a bit on the lame, predictable side, this story got tired in a short time. I don't even think I stayed with it till the end. It was good to see the cast again, though Paul O'Keefe could have phoned his part in. Perhaps there were too many new characters to give the originals enough tube time.
Any further back we will have to dig up Desi and Lucy for a reunion.
SanDiego7 September 2000
Reunion movie of a show so old only senior citizens are alive that remember the original...reruns included. I believe this may actually set a record for reunion shows as far as time difference between original and reunion ("Leave it to Beaver" was about 22 years). The original Patty Duke show went off the air in 1966 making it a 33 year difference! The only thing close is "Burke's Law" which saw a return after 28 years in 1994 (of course that was more of a return than a reunion). I think the best bet here was just to do a remake with new cast (which actually was done with the TV series DOUBLE TROUBLE using real twins). Hayley Mills returned in several movies based on THE PARENT TRAP but that feature film had been rather accessible through the years (and even after the sequel mill ran dry was re-made with a new cast). First of all let me say I love Patty Duke. I liked her in the Helen Keller films (the original and the re-make), I liked her as a teen and as an adult actress, as an Astin and an after-Astin. I applaud her personal triumphs. But if nothing else, Patty Duke has shown us we must move forward not backward. Her guest spot on "Touched by an Angel" blew me away. This woman can act. Put this lady in a brand new sitcom and I'm there. Ask me to remember references from 1966 and I'll deny I was even born yet. Can you imagine in another 10 years having a reunion from our favorite shows of the seventies? Oh no. Oh no, just don't go there.
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