The Odd Couple excepted, this is the best way to take Neil Simon material: In short, manageable chunks. Plaza Suite was the first of Simon's "Suite" series (follwed by California and London), telling three short stories each of which takes place in the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Oh, and all of them star Walter Matthau, in three different roles, with three different leading ladies.

Story #1 is the most bitter of them all, with Matthau experiencing a mid-to-late-life crisis while spending an anniversary with wife Maureen Stapleton. Stapleton has some zingers, but it all ends flat as things come to a head, and all the one-liners on earth can't add much levity to the proceedings.

Next comes Matthau in a tossable story about a might-as-well-be-gay Hollywood producer, trolling through his black book for, well, a booty call. He ends up getting drunk with old flame Muriel (Barbara Harris) without getting lucky.

Finally Matthau is the father of the bride (Lee Grant is mother), and wouldn't you know it the kid has locked herself in the bathroom. Matthau gets rained on and complains a lot.

That's about the sum of Plaza Suite: Few laughs, and a lot of archaic, Catskills-ready humor. All I can say is thank God for Matthau, who frequently elevates this movie above its mediocre script.