Neil Simon is a favorite writer of mine. Although he wrote primarily for the stage, his plays have been successfully adapted to film many times. Barefoot In the Park is a worthy member of a club that includes The Odd Couple and The Sunshine Boys, though not quite up to their marks. The film takes a comic look at the early stages of marriage and how quickly young lovers can become disillusioned. Simon would later examine this theme with a more accelerated pace with The Heartbreak Kid, which has a newlywed couple reaching the divorce stage before they've even reached their honeymoon destination.

Barefoot In the Park is a gentler film, less cynical, but not without a razor sharp wit in the dialogue. The stars, Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, neither known for comedies, turn in impeccably timed performances.