Seems Like Old Times (1980)

I love this movie so much

Just perfect...

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Writer Nicholas Gardenia (Chevy Chase) is kidnapped by two guys and forced to rob a bank. Ira Parks (Charles Grodin) is the district attorney and he's looking to be the new attorney general. He's also married to bleeding heart defense attorney Glenda (Goldie Hawn) who happens to be Nick's ex-wife. Previously Nick had gone to Mexico to write about illegal immigrants and ended up being imprisoned for two years in a smuggling incident. In desperation, he goes to her for help.It's a screw ball comedy written by Neil Simon. Director Jay Sandrich does mostly TV and that's the predominate feel of this movie. Chevy is his sly comic self and gets a few chuckles. However the laughs are not big enough or sustained enough. Goldie is very winning and Charles Grodin gets to yell at the dogs. The continuous rotation of the three characters as lead does take away from the flow and the tension.

Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase reunite for "Seems Like Old Times," a 1980 Neil Simon comedy that borrows heavily from the Cary Grant-Jean Arthur "Talk of the Town." Hawn is an attorney and ex-wife of Chase, and she's now married to DA Charles Grodin, who's about to be made Attorney General of the state. Chase is forced to take part in a robbery and is on the lam and shows up at her house and several inopportune moments - like when she's entertaining the governor. She feels compelled to help him, but there's nothing unusual there - she has stray dogs, cats, and paroled defendants overrunning her house.The actors are excellent, as is the funny supporting cast, and there are some hilarious scenes as Chase hides out in a room above the garage and, while under the bed, his hand extending a little, Grodin stands on his finger as he argues with Hawn.What bothers me about this comedy is that there aren't any around like this anymore. The "comedy" today aims at the lowest common denominator - Woody Allen uses the term "crass" to describe them - and for someone of my generation, what passes as comedy today just isn't funny. Today these situational comedies are written off for some reason in favor of stupidity. I don't get it. I lament the days of "Arthur," where you missed some of the jokes in the theater because the audience was laughing so hard, "Night Shift," and "Seems Like Old Times."

I wouldn't say Neil Simon's comic wit is at full steam in this light-hearted comedy, but there are certainly a plethora of laughs to go around.Chevy Chase's Nick Gardenia is offishly matter-of-fact funny as only he can be, a writer and journalist (have you noticed Simon's protagonists are nearly always writers?) of ill-repute who somehow once ended up in a Mexican jail for 2 years and is now on the path to recovery when a couple of bank robbers kidnap and use him for a heist. His mug is prominently featured in the robbery photos and then the fun ensues when he goes to his ex-wife's (Hawn's) house to engender her help after being let go by the robbers and being fully on the run from the law.The movie is mostly fast-paced slapstick farce, a host of retreaded clichés (the dogs, for example), and quick jokes. Charles Grodin is actually quite funny and charming as her straight-arrow District Attorney (soon to be Attorney General) husband, Ira. Given "Midnight Run," I think Grodin should be considered a mint for American glib comedy a la Albert Brooks.It's pointless to go much deeper into the story as the plot merely drives slapstick scenes one into the next. The story is essentially the sum of its parts.Goldie Hawn is in full-tilt cutie mode (she really was a doll) but carries the movie very well as a hopeless do-gooder who wants to help everybody, including her ex-husband and every stray dog in 10 surrounding counties. Chevy Chase often gives the impression of making comedy look effortless (think Fletch), but he is REALLY giving into pratfalling a la his SNL days in this one. The supporting cast with Guillaume and others is excellent.This is completely worth a watch if you catch it as in many ways this movie is superior to the Hawn and Chase hit "Foul Play."

While "Airplane!" is widely regarded as the best comedy of 1980, this gem is often overlooked.This movie has too many hilarious scenes to count, and contains many clever one-liners that will leave you rolling. The humor here isn't always obvious and in-your-face, but it's lurking within nearly every line in every scene.The wacky set of characters add flair to the well-written storyline. This is one comedy which never gets old or boring, from beginning to end.Stars Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Charles Grodin are at their best, while the supporting cast also does an excellent job. This is a well made comedy in all aspects. It is perplexing how this one fell below the radar.Keep in mind that this movie is not really aimed at the stupid. If you need to be hit over the head with jokes in order to recognize them, this isn't the movie for you. At the same time, the movie is not pretentious, and the humor is not hidden. If you can appreciate its deadpan tone, you will find it to be hilarious.