The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.