Seems Like Old Times (film)
Encyclopedia
Seems Like Old Times is a 1980
comedy film
starring Chevy Chase
, Goldie Hawn
, and Charles Grodin
, directed by Jay Sandrich
, with Neil Simon
as screenwriter
.
After Nick Gardenia (Chase) is forced to rob a bank, and becomes a fugitive, he seeks help from his ex-wife Glenda Parks (Hawn), a public defender. Her new husband, Ira Parks (Grodin), is a district attorney who dislikes Nick.
Not long after the robbery, the picture of Nick comes through to Los Angeles district attorney Ira J. Parks (Grodin) and his assistant, Fred (Guillaume) brings it to Ira's attention that it just so happens to be Parks' wife's ex-husband. Because of his recent desire to become Attorney General of California, Ira is frustrated and upset, thinking his wife's ex-husband being a bank robber will haunt him through his campaign. Meanwhile, Ira's wife, Glenda, (Hawn) a lawyer herself, often tries to rehabilitate her clients by giving them odd jobs around their house. Glenda is a strong woman but often lets her heart get the best of her. This is apparent by the many dogs and cats she has and the many "criminals" she has working for her, especially her chauffeur/butler Chester (Carter). After a long day in court, Glenda comes home to the mixed news of joy for Ira becoming Attorney General and surprise when Ira gives her the news about Nick. Glenda becomes convinced she must defend Nick when he is caught because of her disbelief that he would ever do such a thing.
Meanwhile, the robbers ditch Nick and he desperately makes his way to Glenda and Ira's house. During a big party, Glenda, while searching for one of her dogs, runs into Nick in her garage. He begs her for help and she tries to get him some food, despite most of the leaders of law enforcement in her house at the party. Nick tries sneaking into the house to get food and runs into Glenda again. He explains what happened and she refuses to help anymore unless he turns himself in. Nick goes on to say that he wants to go after the guys who did this to him and Glenda lets him sleep in the guest room over the garage. After some comically close run-ins with the police, Ira, and Glenda's feisty maid, Aurora (Wilder), Glenda manages to keep anyone from knowing Nick is hiding in the guest room or stealing Ira's and Glenda's cars.
Ira soon discovers Nick was telling the truth about the two men who forced him to rob the bank and just in time for the big party with the governor of California coming to the house. However, Glenda has to deal with the "criminals" getting actual jobs, the maid having foot surgery (which could ruin the party without the governor's favorite dish—Aurora's chicken pepperoni), and Chester getting drunk in the kitchen. So, the party takes a hilarious turn when Nick, coming back to turn himself in, ends up serving dinner to the governor, Ira, Glenda, and Fred.
Ultimately, Nick, Glenda, Ira, Aurora, the dogs and the robbers end up in Glenda's favorite judge's (Gould) court. While the judge is overwhelmed by the happenings in the Parks household, the police bring in Aurora, Glenda's dogs, and the bank robbers that kidnapped Nick. The robbers plea to Nick's innocence for a reduced sentence after getting caught by Aurora and the dogs when they attempted to force her to rob a bank, just like Nick.
After all is said and done, Nick is free, but he and Glenda still apparently have unresolved feelings. She decides to stay with Ira, but a decision that was hard to make. She kisses Nick good-bye. Or is it? Ira and Glenda, later that night, decide to take a car trip to forget the past few days and end up in an accident trying to avoid a cow on the road. Ira is hurt and it's pouring rain, so Glenda has to go for help. She ends up at the only place around—a cabin with all the lights on. Glenda pounds on the door begging for help. The door opens and it's Nick. She smiles...
, Neil Simon was inspired by The Talk of the Town. This 1942 comedy starred Cary Grant
as a wrongfully accused man hiding out at the home of a beautiful woman, played by Jean Arthur
, with Ronald Colman
as the third member of the romantic triangle.
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
, Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
, and Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He had a small part as an obstetrician in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby in 1968...
, directed by Jay Sandrich
Jay Sandrich
Jay Henry Sandrich is an American television director.He began his career as an Assistant Director on I Love Lucy. Sandrich has directed and/or produced episodes of The Bill Dana Show, Get Smart, 2/3 of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Soap, first 3 seasons of The Cosby Show, and The Odd Couple...
, with Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
as screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
After Nick Gardenia (Chase) is forced to rob a bank, and becomes a fugitive, he seeks help from his ex-wife Glenda Parks (Hawn), a public defender. Her new husband, Ira Parks (Grodin), is a district attorney who dislikes Nick.
Plot
The movie opens with Nick Gardenia (Chase), an often-out-of-luck writer, who has the use of a friend's cabin to write a spectacular work in the peace and quiet of the California mountains. He is immediately interrupted by a pair of bank robbers (Omen and Alaimo) who use Nick to rob a bank in Carmel. Their modus operandi is to take an innocent person and force them at gunpoint to rob banks for them, take the money and toss them out of their moving car, which they just so happen to steal their current one from Nick. Unfortunately, in the process of robbing the bank, Nick (in the personal style of Chase's pratfalls) trips over the line ropes in the bank, is helped up and looks right up into the camera in the corner that just took his picture.Not long after the robbery, the picture of Nick comes through to Los Angeles district attorney Ira J. Parks (Grodin) and his assistant, Fred (Guillaume) brings it to Ira's attention that it just so happens to be Parks' wife's ex-husband. Because of his recent desire to become Attorney General of California, Ira is frustrated and upset, thinking his wife's ex-husband being a bank robber will haunt him through his campaign. Meanwhile, Ira's wife, Glenda, (Hawn) a lawyer herself, often tries to rehabilitate her clients by giving them odd jobs around their house. Glenda is a strong woman but often lets her heart get the best of her. This is apparent by the many dogs and cats she has and the many "criminals" she has working for her, especially her chauffeur/butler Chester (Carter). After a long day in court, Glenda comes home to the mixed news of joy for Ira becoming Attorney General and surprise when Ira gives her the news about Nick. Glenda becomes convinced she must defend Nick when he is caught because of her disbelief that he would ever do such a thing.
Meanwhile, the robbers ditch Nick and he desperately makes his way to Glenda and Ira's house. During a big party, Glenda, while searching for one of her dogs, runs into Nick in her garage. He begs her for help and she tries to get him some food, despite most of the leaders of law enforcement in her house at the party. Nick tries sneaking into the house to get food and runs into Glenda again. He explains what happened and she refuses to help anymore unless he turns himself in. Nick goes on to say that he wants to go after the guys who did this to him and Glenda lets him sleep in the guest room over the garage. After some comically close run-ins with the police, Ira, and Glenda's feisty maid, Aurora (Wilder), Glenda manages to keep anyone from knowing Nick is hiding in the guest room or stealing Ira's and Glenda's cars.
Ira soon discovers Nick was telling the truth about the two men who forced him to rob the bank and just in time for the big party with the governor of California coming to the house. However, Glenda has to deal with the "criminals" getting actual jobs, the maid having foot surgery (which could ruin the party without the governor's favorite dish—Aurora's chicken pepperoni), and Chester getting drunk in the kitchen. So, the party takes a hilarious turn when Nick, coming back to turn himself in, ends up serving dinner to the governor, Ira, Glenda, and Fred.
Ultimately, Nick, Glenda, Ira, Aurora, the dogs and the robbers end up in Glenda's favorite judge's (Gould) court. While the judge is overwhelmed by the happenings in the Parks household, the police bring in Aurora, Glenda's dogs, and the bank robbers that kidnapped Nick. The robbers plea to Nick's innocence for a reduced sentence after getting caught by Aurora and the dogs when they attempted to force her to rob a bank, just like Nick.
After all is said and done, Nick is free, but he and Glenda still apparently have unresolved feelings. She decides to stay with Ira, but a decision that was hard to make. She kisses Nick good-bye. Or is it? Ira and Glenda, later that night, decide to take a car trip to forget the past few days and end up in an accident trying to avoid a cow on the road. Ira is hurt and it's pouring rain, so Glenda has to go for help. She ends up at the only place around—a cabin with all the lights on. Glenda pounds on the door begging for help. The door opens and it's Nick. She smiles...
Cast
- Goldie HawnGoldie HawnGoldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
as Glenda Gardenia Parks - Chevy ChaseChevy ChaseCornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
as Nicholas 'Nick' J. Gardenia - Charles GrodinCharles GrodinCharles Grodin is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He had a small part as an obstetrician in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby in 1968...
as Ira J. Parks - Robert GuillaumeRobert GuillaumeRobert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
as Fred - Harold GouldHarold GouldHarold V. Goldstein , best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber in The Golden Girls...
as Judge John Channing - George GrizzardGeorge GrizzardGeorge Cooper Grizzard, Jr. was an American actor of film and stage. He appeared in more than 40 films, dozens of television programs and a number of Broadway plays.-Life and career:...
as Stanley - T. K. CarterT. K. CarterThomas Kent Carter better known as T. K. Carter, is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Michael "Mike" Fulton, an elementary school teacher, on the NBC series Punky Brewster and Mylo Williams on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss as a supervisor, whose...
as Chester - Judd OmenJudd OmenJudd Omen is an American film and television actor. He is most notable for his role as Mickey Morrelli, the convict in Pee-wee's Big Adventure . He also had supporting roles in Red Dawn and Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf Bitch...
as Warren 'Dex' Dexter - Chris LemmonChris Lemmon-History:Lemmon was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Cynthia Stone and actor Jack Lemmon. With a natural talent for music, he was encouraged by his father to study piano. Lemmon considered playing piano professionally after having graduated from the California Institute of the...
as Policeman - Marc AlaimoMarc AlaimoMichael Anthony "Marc" Alaimo is an American actor, known for his villainous roles. He is known to Star Trek fans for his role as recurring villain Gul Dukat in the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Career:...
as B. G. Ramone
Reviews
Roger Ebert, in his December 24, 1980 review, said although Seems Like Old Times made him "laugh out loud", the movie never edged over the line of success. He said "the good parts were good enough to hold out the promise for more. The movie is Neil Simon's attempt at one of those 1940s-style screwball comedies with lots of surprise entrances and hasty exits and people hiding under the bed. It would be hard to improve on the casting (Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase and Charles Grodin). And there are a couple of really funny, sustained sequences."Inspiration
According to Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
, Neil Simon was inspired by The Talk of the Town. This 1942 comedy starred Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
as a wrongfully accused man hiding out at the home of a beautiful woman, played by Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur was an American actress and a major film star of the 1930s and 1940s. She remains arguably the epitome of the female screwball comedy actress. As James Harvey wrote in his recounting of the era, "No one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur...
, with Ronald Colman
Ronald Colman
Ronald Charles Colman was an English actor.-Early years:He was born in Richmond, Surrey, England, the second son and fourth child of Charles Colman and his wife Marjory Read Fraser. His siblings included Eric, Edith, and Marjorie. He was educated at boarding school in Littlehampton, where he...
as the third member of the romantic triangle.