The Goodbye Girl is a fun and entertaining romantic comedy written by Neil Simon (who, at the time, was married to actress Marsha Mason).

Former dancer Paula McFadden (Mason) has just about had it with actors. She was once married to one of them and, as a result, she has a wonderfully precocious 10-year-old daughter named Lucy (Quinn Cummings). Otherwise, the relationship didn't work out. She and Lucy lived with another actor for a few years, but now he has moved out of their New York apartment and is on his way to shoot a movie in Europe. Before he left, he sublet the apartment out from under the McFaddens to Elliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss), an actor coming in from Chicago. Naturally, a power struggle immediately surfaces between Elliot and Paula. They reluctantly agree to share the apartment, even though they are obviously quite different kinds of people.

It takes a while for the three of them to get used to the new arrangement. The adults continue to butt heads, as would be expected. Ironically, a colorful poster in the apartment hallway carries a Confucius quote as a not-so-subtle reminder: "Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses." But it's easy enough to walk right past that advice without thinking or noticing it. (This could be a good topic for a short essay, kids.)

Somehow, everybody's got to survive, too. We follow both Elliot and Paula as they land acting- and theatre-related jobs, with varying degrees of success. And of course, we're pretty sure that something will develop between the two of them. Lucy actually comes around to Elliot first, before her mother does. Will Paula's relationship with an actor work out this time? Or will she find herself saying "goodbye" once more?

A bit of fun comes in watching character actor Paul Benedict play a quirky off-Broadway director who interprets Shakespeare's stories in odd ways. Back in the 1970s, we knew him best as neighbor Mr. Bentley in the TV series, The Jeffersons.

By the way, students of literature: just as you learned from your favorite Hemingway novel, you may catch that Simon includes a rain motif here. Pay attention to how the weather foreshadows, advances or affects the plot. (Writing an essay about the use of this device is optional.)

Want another assignment? Compare and contrast this story with the one in Murphy's Romance. In each movie, a single mom -- who admits out loud that she is 33 years old -- has to figure out what to do after a relationship ends. We see two very different approaches in response.

Dave Grusin arranged the musical score here, and it becomes familiar quickly. The signature song, "The Goodbye Girl," was written and sung by Bread's David Gates. Back when this movie was released, we heard it on the radio for months. It's the kind of tune that can make you remember the past and exactly where you were when this song was playing. Ah, the '70s!

The Goodbye Girl provides simple entertainment through a small but strong cast with a basic story to tell. Just don't let that theme song linger in your head for too many days afterward.