Goldie Hawn is glowing. It’s 1980, and she’s standing in a kitchen, frantically trying to hide her ex-husband in a dog bed while her current husband, the district attorney, eats dinner. This is the chaotic, high-wire act of Seems Like Old Times, a movie that feels like the last gasp of the classic screwball comedy before the 1980s turned every rom-com into a high-concept neon blur.
Most people remember Private Benjamin. They remember Overboard. But if you haven't revisited this Neil Simon gem lately, you're missing the sharpest chemistry Hawn ever had with Chevy Chase. It’s a weirdly specific artifact. It arrived right at the dawn of the Reagan era, carrying the DNA of 1940s "comedy of remarriage" films like The Philadelphia Story, yet it’s soaked in the cynical, bumbling energy of the late seventies.
The Writing That Made Seems Like Old Times Work
Neil Simon didn't just write jokes; he wrote anxiety. In Seems Like Old Times, he takes the character of Nick Gardenia (Chevy Chase)—a writer who is kidnapped and forced to rob a bank—and tosses him into the domestic sanctuary of his ex-wife, Glenda (Goldie Hawn). Glenda is a bleeding-heart public defender who collects stray dogs and lost causes.
It’s a perfect setup.
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The dialogue moves at a clip that most modern writers wouldn't dare attempt. Simon’s script relies on the "Rule of Three," but he subverts it by letting the actors trip over their own lines. When Nick shows up at Glenda's house, wet and desperate, the movie stops being a crime caper and becomes a claustrophobic farce. Honestly, the way Simon handles the overlap of Glenda's two lives is a masterclass in pacing. You have Charles Grodin playing the current husband, Ira Parks, who is the straight man to end all straight men. Grodin was the secret weapon of eighties comedy. His ability to look mildly annoyed while his life is literally imploding is what grounds the absurdity.
The Chemistry Problem (And Why They Solved It)
You’ve seen "chemistry" in movies before, but Hawn and Chase in the late seventies/early eighties were something else. They had already done Foul Play in 1978. That movie was a massive hit. By the time they got to Seems Like Old Times, they didn't need to build rapport. They just had it.
Chase plays Nick with a specific kind of "bumbling intellectual" vibe that he eventually lost when he leaned too hard into the Fletch persona. Here, he’s vulnerable. He’s actually scared. And Goldie? She’s the engine. People often underestimate Hawn because of the "dizzy blonde" trope, but her timing is surgical. Watch the scene where she’s trying to serve Chicken Pepperoni while Nick is hiding under the table. It’s physical comedy that requires incredible core strength and awareness of the camera's frame.
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Director Jay Sandrich came from a heavy sitcom background—he directed some of the best episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. You can see that influence. He keeps the camera steady and lets the actors move. He doesn't over-edit. He knows that if you have Grodin, Hawn, and Chase in a room, the best thing you can do is stay out of the way.
Why This Movie Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of "content." Movies are often built by committees to satisfy an algorithm. Seems Like Old Times feels like it was built by people who actually liked each other. It’s a middle-class fantasy, sure—they live in a gorgeous house in Brentwood with a maid named Aurora who hates everyone—but it deals with a very real human impulse: the inability to say "no" to the past.
Glenda can’t let Nick go because he represents a version of her life that was messy and exciting. Ira represents the version that is stable and prestigious. It’s a love triangle where nobody is truly the villain, even if the law says Nick is a criminal.
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- The Soundtrack: Marvin Hamlisch handled the music. It’s subtle, but it underscores the tension perfectly.
- The Supporting Cast: Robert Guillaume and Harold Gould bring a level of gravitas that makes the silly moments feel earned.
- The Legal Absurdity: As a public defender, Glenda’s ethical lapses are hilariously massive. In today's world, she’d be disbarred in twenty minutes. In 1980? It’s just a Tuesday.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
There’s a common critique that the movie lets Nick off too easy. He robbed a bank! (Even if he was forced). But that’s missing the point of a Neil Simon comedy. Simon wasn't interested in the legalities of the California penal code. He was interested in the messiness of the heart. The ending isn't about justice; it's about the fact that sometimes, the person who ruins your life is the only one you want to have dinner with.
The final sequence in the courtroom is a chaotic masterpiece of legal incompetence. It’s the kind of scene that would never be filmed today because it’s "unrealistic." But it works because the emotional stakes are so high. You want Glenda to win. You want Nick to be free. You even sort of want Ira to just get a decent meal and a nap.
How to Revisit the Film Today
If you’re going to watch Seems Like Old Times tonight, don't look at it as a relic. Look at it as a blueprint.
- Observe the framing: Notice how much happens in a single wide shot. Modern comedies use too many close-ups.
- Listen to the rhythm: The dialogue is percussion.
- Check the "Chicken Pepperoni" recipe: Yes, people have actually tried to recreate the dish Glenda makes in the movie. It’s a real thing. It’s basically a spicy chicken cacciatore, and it’s become a cult favorite for fans of the film.
- Compare it to Foul Play: It’s a tighter, more focused film than their previous collaboration.
Seems Like Old Times remains a high-water mark for the genre. It’s funny, it’s slightly cynical, and it features three actors at the absolute top of their game. It reminds us that comedy doesn't need explosions or multiverse cameos. It just needs a dog bed, a hidden ex-husband, and a really good script.
The best way to appreciate this film is to watch it back-to-back with a modern comedy. You'll notice the difference immediately. The silence is longer. The jokes are allowed to breathe. The characters feel like people you might actually know—or at least, people you’d want to have over for dinner, provided no one is being hunted by the FBI.