I was born and raised in Suburban Texas but this is one of my favorites.It is by no means a New York story that Non-New Yoikers can't understand and a lot of us Provincials resent the very provincial thinking of a few classless fools in the Big Apple. This is a delightful piece of fun. It is a joy to watch. The cast is put to superb use in this heartfelt tribute to the simple glorious joys of an ordinary childhood. Like most autobiographical works this film has a resonance that isn't present in other works. As Crooklyn is one of Spike Lee's best works so is this one of Woody Allen's best. The color is lushly aged and beautifully underscored with the delightfully nostalgic music of the forties airwaves. Even though I am only in my early fifties this film reminds me of that simpler time that perhaps never was. It shows a healthy family going though the most fascinating of all things, namely ordinary living. This is the kind of "reality" that should be on T.V. instead of the dreck the major networks are commiting financial suicide with. I watch this every time its on. Its one of those films that helps you understand how different and yet the same families are. If a person doesn't understand this film it's definitely a case of "something missing". The radio stories are the only fantastic aspect of the piece and they perfectly underscore the basic reality of the story. Movies like this, Meet Me in St. Louis, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I Remember Mama, Life with Father, and Crooklyn are essentials.