Independent Films, Film Profiles

Seems Like Old Times (film)

Seems Like Old Times is a 1980 comedy film starring Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn and directed by Jay Sandrich. Nick Gardenia (Chase), ex-husband of Glenda Parks (Hawn), seems to have the worst luck of anyone in the world. After he is forced to rob a bank, and becomes a fugitive, he seeks help from the only person he can trust: Glenda, who is now a public defender who often takes in her clients. The trouble is, her new husband, Ira Parks (Grodin), is a district attorney and prosecutor who dislikes Nick, for obvious reasons. All parties involved, including Glenda's five dogs, cause a huge amount of trouble and insanity in the household.Neil Simon takes the writing credits, and the movie is sometimes known as Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times.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...