Seems Like Old Times (1980)

Wrongfully accused of a bank robbery, a writer seeks the help of his ex-wife, who is now married to the soon-to-be D.A. of California.

Director:

Jay Sandrich

Writer:

Neil Simon

Stars:

Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Charles Grodin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Goldie Hawn	...	Glenda Parks
Chevy Chase	...	Nicholas Gardenia
Charles Grodin	...	Ira Parks
Robert Guillaume	...	Fred
Harold Gould	...	Judge John Channing
George Grizzard	...	Governor
Yvonne Wilder	...	Aurora De La Hoya
T.K. Carter	...	Chester
Judd Omen	...	Dex
Marc Alaimo	...	B.G.
Bill Zuckert	...	Gas Station Attendant
Jerry Houser	...	Gas Station Attendant
David Haskell	...	Policeman
Chris Lemmon	...	Policeman
Ed Griffith	...	Policeman

Storyline

Writer Nick Gardenia is kidnapped from his California cliffhouse and forced to rob a bank. Now a fugitive, he seeks help from his ex, Glenda. She is a public defender remarried to a prosecutor, and we get a houseful of hijinks.

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Plot Keywords:

neo screwball comedy | fugitive | prosecutor | dog | bank robbery | 

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Taglines:

alone - at last . . . [UK]

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$43,995,918

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rastar Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The main set built for the picture was the home of upper-middle-class professionals Glenda Parks and Ira Parks (Goldie Hawn and Charles Grodin respectively). There are unusual touches which reflect Glenda's warm personality and her penchant for aiding the down and outs of the world, whether human or animal. The Tudor-style house consisted of a living room, dining room, study, kitchen, staircase, upstairs hallway, and pantry. The exterior of the house matched perfectly the location house in Brentwood, California, used for exterior scenes. The interior of the set house is larger than the real one. The Tudor style was chosen for its fine workmanship and paneling. Everything was specially constructed, including the oak hardwood floors, the custom-cast staircase, the real brick walkway, the real asphalt driveway, and the custom-made metal sash windows. The wallpaper was custom designed in New York. The house was painted in three values of grey taken from the wallpaper. The muted greys were used because the neutrality of the color allows blond star Goldie Hawn to stand out against this background. Even the oak hardwood floors were stained grey. The study is a contrast in style with its dark wood and red wallpaper. This is the Ira Parks (Charles Grodin) character's room. The house was decorated with collections of brass, patchwork, animal artwork, books, and antique-style furniture, all blending with the personalities and lifestyles of the home's occupants.

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Goofs

In the final scene when Ira is driving in the rain, he swerves to avoid a cow in the road. The cow is clearly fake. In the next shot a real cow walks by.

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Quotes

Dist. Atty. Ira J. Parks: We're going to have a serious conversation tonight.
Glenda Gardenia Parks: I'm looking forward to it.
Nick Gardenia: Anything special you'd like for dinner?

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Connections

Referenced in NCIS: Agent Afloat (2008)

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Soundtracks

The High and the Mighty
(uncredited)
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Portion whistled by Chevy Chase

User Reviews

They don't make comedies like they used to.

The late seventies/early eighties may have left us the legacy of disco, and polyester, but it also was a time of some great comedic films, and comedic writers and actors.

I remember seeing movies such as Foul Play, Seems Like Old Times, The Goodbye Girl, Airplane, Arthur, The Main Event, Love at First Bite, The Jerk, etc. as a kid. Then they were funny to me, but now that I get older, they seem even funnier. Maybe it's the nostalgia, in a day and age of 'dark comedy', to be again in an era that was more laid-back and lighthearted. These movies are just good plain fun.

As far as Chevy Chase, and Goldie Hawn are concerned, especially in Foul Play...I would have describe them as cute, (especially together), great fun, fun to watch, great talents, and in this movie pure genius. I would love to see some of the seventies/ eighties comedy icons get together to make one last movie together. With a good script, it would be like It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World would be to the great classic comedians of early film.