The Sunshine Boys (1995)
In 1995, Allen agreed to appear in a made-for-television update of Neil Simon's classic The Sunshine Boys, a tale of two comedians (think Martin and Lewis) who haven't appeared together, or even spoken to each other, in twenty some years. As the film begins the comedians, played by Allen and Peter Falk (Columbo, Princess Bride), are well beyond their prime, and neither have ever found a tremendous amount of success after their close partnership ended. They each had their various reasons for splitting up, but the bottom line is...they don't like each other.
Enter Nancy (Sarah Jessica Parker) Falk's niece who desparately tries to re-unite the two for dual roles in an upcoming film. She does everything she can to get the two in a room together, lying to each of them, and finally manages to accomplish the seemingly impossible. The best scene in the film is this relunctant reunion between two, as they sit down and try to go over the script for the potential film. The chemistry is great and the scene is a marvel of comic timing and wit. This scene alone is the reason I enjoyed the film, as it literally lifted a so-so television film into a momentarily enjoyable comic treat. However, eventually the interest level of the plot starts to decline, and the film itself begins to grow tedious, giving you enough time to think of the greatness of the original film. If you're thinking about renting this one, you'd do best to fast-forward to the middle.