▁the ▁M ood ▁were ▁not ▁in ▁fact ▁based ▁on ▁Son ny ' s ▁true ▁story , ▁they ▁wouldn ' t ▁be ▁cred ible ▁for ▁a ▁second ... it ▁res erves ▁its ▁greatest ▁warm th ▁for ▁the ▁era ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁action ▁takes ▁place . ▁And ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁are ▁indeed ▁affection ately ▁re created ▁here , ▁with ▁big - band ▁music , ▁elaborate ▁cost umes ▁and ▁well - ch osen ▁bill boards ▁in ▁the ▁background ▁everywhere ". ▁ ▁Film ▁critic ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁wrote ▁" this ▁kid ▁named ▁Patrick ▁D emp sey ▁is ▁the ▁perfect ▁choice ▁to ▁play ▁Son ny . ▁He ' s ▁got ▁the ▁wis ec rack ing ▁spirit ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁Neil ▁Simon ' s ▁aut obi ographical ▁hero es , ▁but ▁he ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁certain ▁saint ly ▁simplicity , ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁not ▁seeing ▁all ▁the ▁things ▁that ▁could ▁go ▁wrong ... the ▁movie ▁is ▁comfort ably ▁set ▁in ▁its ▁period , ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 4 0 s ▁of ▁Ro ose vel t ▁and ▁r ation ing , ▁Gl enn ▁Miller ▁and ▁Wo ody ▁H erman , ▁and ▁a ▁national ▁hung er ▁for ▁head lines ▁that ▁were ▁not ▁about ▁the ▁war ... the ▁period ▁is ▁established ▁without ▁being ▁allowed ▁to ▁overcome ▁the ▁picture , ▁which ▁finds ▁a ▁gentle ▁off hand ▁way ▁to ▁get ▁its ▁laugh s ; ▁usually ▁we ' re ▁la ughing , ▁not ▁at ▁p unch ▁lines , ▁but ▁at ▁human ▁nature . ▁ ▁Crit ic ▁Dennis ▁Schw art z