It's sometimes a bit difficult for me to rate older films. Fortunately, this is not the case with "The Goodbye Girl", as the film seems quite modern in its approach. At its core, it's about a quirky actor (Richard Dreyfuss) who becomes a subtenant in the apartment of a former dancer (Marsha Mason) and her ten-year-old daughter (Quinn Cummings). It's a premise that could easily be used in a modern sitcom or romantic comedy.

Aside from a few dated scenes, the film works really well. This is primarily due to the chemistry of the three leads, who all do a pretty good job. It's no surprise that Dreyfuss won an Oscar for the role; his energy is really engaging, though you don't necessarily like his character from the start. Mason and Cummings were also both nominated for Academy Awards, though I can't quite understand that in the case of the former. Her character was a bit too trying for me, and Mason also tends to overact at times.

All in all, though, it's a pretty enjoyable movie. If you can handle the fact that actors lean more towards what is typical for the stage with their roles, then "The Goodbye Girl" can be quite fun.