Lost in Yonkers

In 1942, after their mother's death, Jay and Arty move from the Bronx to Yonkers to live with Grandma Kurnitz and Aunt Bella. Eddie stays behind, taking a traveling sales job to pay off the late wife's medical debt. The new arrangement quickly reveals Grandma's harsh approach to parenting and sets up the siblings' adjustments.

Grandma's rule-bound regime suppresses the boys' independence and creates tension in the house. Jay and Arty chafe under her iron discipline, while Bella tries to mediate the conflict. This dynamic lays the groundwork for the siblings' struggles and eventual rebellion.

Bella defies Grandma to allow the boys to stay, arguing that family unity matters more than Grandma's rigidity. She even threatens to move out to the home for those with mental conditions if Grandma refuses to let them stay. The stand-off convinces Grandma to reconsider and sets up Bella's precarious position.

Uncle Louie, a mobster on the run, returns to the family’s house to hide from Hollywood Harry. His presence pulls the family into a world of risk and secrecy, foreshadowing the darker implications of their choices. The reunion adds tension to the already strained household.

Louie explains that Grandma was traumatized at 12 when she witnessed police kill her father and was disabled in the riot. This history helps explain her belief that people must be like steel to survive. Her past shapes how she raises her children and now the grandchildren.

Bella learns that Grandma has hidden $15,000 somewhere in the house and the candy store. Jay and Arty decide to search for the money, hoping to pay off their father’s debt and gain leverage in their new life. This quest becomes a catalyst for risk and moral ambiguity.

Jay helps Louie steal Hollywood Harry's car and escape with a black bag, pulling off a quick, risky caper. The heist ties the brothers to the criminal world surrounding their family and complicates their plans. The act also fuels Louie's boasts about his newfound wealth.

After the escape, Louie calls Bella to brag that he’s now the richest guy in Guadalcanal. The money he passes to Bella fuels her belief that she can pursue her dream of marrying Johnny and opening a restaurant. She hopes to raise $5,000 to realize this plan.

Bella falls in love with Johnny, the mentally slow head usher, and they plan to marry and open a restaurant together. Johnny's fear of commitment and his own doubts complicate their future. This romance creates a personal conflict against Grandma's expectations.

At a family dinner attended by Louie and Gert, Bella proclaims her plan to marry Johnny and start a restaurant. Grandma disapproves, triggering Bella's heartbreak and a breakdown that leaves her temporarily leaving the house. The confrontation exposes the emotional stakes behind the family’s choices.

Bella leaves the house in tears and moves in with Gert after the confrontation. Eventually she reconciles enough with Grandma to return and agrees to live a more independent life under Grandma's supervision. This change softens the harsh dynamic and sets the stage for the family to come together.

Eddie returns from his travels to reclaim his sons, and the family shares a warm farewell card for Grandma. The moment reinforces their familial bond and signals a shift away from the house's coercive dynamics. The ending hints at Grandma's death and the end of an era.

In the final scene, Bella leaves Yonkers for good to take a restaurant job in Florida, sending a postcard to Eddie and the boys. The film implies Grandma's death as a quiet backdrop to the family's next chapter and Bella's new independence. The ending suggests a fragile but hopeful future for the Kurnitz family.