Seems Like Old Times (1980)

Best movie of this year hands down!

An Exercise In Nonsense

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This movie has many laughs. The dialog is funny in places, but the pratfalls and physical miscues that happen to Chevy Chase's character are the source of most of the laughter. His routines and mishaps resemble something out of the Three Stooges. "Seems Like Old Times," is an entertaining comedy with Chevy Chase as Nicholas Gardenia. He is a writer who is divorced from Goldie Hahn's Glenda Parks. She is now married to Ira Parks, played by Charles Grodin. Glenda and Ira are both attorneys. He is a DA whom the governor of California plans to pick for state attorney general. She takes mostly pro bono work, defending the poor but guilty. She is a one-person rehabilitation center because she employs many of the bad apples she gets off the hook. Of course, they don't change. The hilarity of this movie reaches its zenith when a couple of ex- cons kidnap Nick and force him at gunpoint to be the front man for the hold-up of a Carmel bank. Nick comes back to Glenda as his only source of help. He hides in their garage. The cops are looking for him. Ira wants to put him in prison for good. Glenda tries to send him away. He comes back. She hides him. This goes on throughout the film Chase does what he does best – the sort of deadpan mannerism with delivery of funny lines as asides. This may be Hahn's best comedy. She doesn't force herself in this one – it seems to come naturally, and she isn't otherwise a bumbling goofus. It's a light comedy with plenty of laughs that most viewers should enjoy.

I have loved this movie since I saw it in the early 80s when I was in Junior High. For 25 years I have liked to quoted this movie. Every actor was wonderful, and I find it difficult to pick one out as the best. T.K. Carter did such a great job, and he developed his character the best, I thought, as "Chester" the klepto-chaeuffer. When "Glenda" told "Nick" to give himself up, she said "If you're innocent they will never send you to jail." Nick responds by asking "Chester" if thats how it works, "Chester" responds, "Not in my neighborhood." Charles Grodin was great as "Glenda's" husband "Ira." I also wasn't that impressed with the scene in the guest room with Chase under the bed while Grodin was sitting on it. I loved that line, however, by Grodin where he said, "oh, he was limping. Then of course he's innocent, limper's never lie, limper's are famous for telling the truth." I highly recommend this. Your time wont be wasted.Just remembered that part with chevy chase "holding up" the gas station. After he remembers he has a gun he makes the attendent break into the candy machine for him. the attendant asks "uh, how about zagnut?" The gas station attendant says "we don't keep cash at night, only credit cards." and then he says

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.