Above: Behind the Scenes – director Timothy Hines on set with Teddy Smith, Cali Scolari and Lydia Pearl Pentz.
LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK CITY – With The Wilde Girls barreling into theaters this spring—May 30th in Los Angeles at Laemmle NoHo 7 and June 6th at New York’s Cinema Village—the film world is abuzz with what might be the most unexpected comeback of the decade: not of a celebrity, but of a comedic writing style. That style? Rapid-fire wit, spiraling misunderstandings, and words so sharp you could julienne a carrot with them. The name behind this revival? Writer-director Timothy Hines, now being hailed by critics and fans alike as nothing short of “the new Neil Simon.”
Yes, that Neil Simon—the maestro of The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, The Goodbye Girl, and half the best lines your grandmother ever quoted when you did something dumb. And now, Timothy Hines has stepped into the ring—not with boxing gloves, but with dialogue so fast and so funny, it might get pulled over for speeding in a school zone.
From WWII Dramas to Wordplay Wonders
Above and Below: Timothy Hines’ 10 Days in a Madhouse.
Though Hines is no stranger to the director’s chair (his résumé includes period epics and literary adaptations such as “10 Days In A Madhouse”), The Wilde Girls marks a major pivot—and a dazzling reveal of what critics are calling his “hidden superpower”: dialogue.
“The Wilde Girls is funny, adventurous and surprisingly poignant, all rolled into one. Timothy Hines approaches the story in a way that does not detract from the innocence of it all as he sets about to create a unique film about losing privilege and finding oneself at the lowest point in life. For a film set in the 1930s, there is a surprising amount of wit and sarcasm here but it does not detract from the overall tone of the story at all.” — IndieWrap
“Ultimately, The Wilde Girls works because of the relationship between Tinsley and Mattie and the clever dialogue.” — Film Threat
“Writer/director Timothy Hines takes us back in time to the golden era of film, specifically the comedies…a charming blend of slapstick survival comedy, 1930s flair, and heartfelt growth.” — FilmDump
“A humorous, fish-out-of-water adventure packed with clueless antics, screwball charm, and moments of unexpected heart.” — FilmDump
“Hines’ script is at its brightest when poking fun at the sisters’ complete lack of self-awareness.” — Screencritix
A Script That Zings Like Simon, Sturges, and Wilder Walked into a Bar.
Above: Cali Scolari and Lydia Pearl Pentz in The Wilde Girls.
In The Wilde Girls, we meet two trust-fund sisters who’ve been sent from Manhattan to Washington State during the Great Depression to be “taken care of” by a not-so-subtle assassin named Button. When their boathouse falls apart faster than their manicure, and their would-be murderer suddenly becomes roadkill thanks to a car they technically didn’t drive off a cliff, things go from bad to bonkers.
Enter Hogart, the baffled sheriff trying to sort out their story. The scene, which has critics in hysterics, plays like a cross between His Girl Friday, Arrested Development, and a dinner party hosted by the Marx Brothers.
Let’s recap: An unlivable boathouse. A “button man” named Button (because of course). A squirrel rifle will not kill a bear. A possibly-dead, possibly-still-crushed assassin. And a sheriff who can’t stop repeating their answers back to them because… even he can’t believe what he’s hearing.
Above: A page from Timothy Hines’ Script for THe WIlde GIrls.
This kind of loop-de-loop logic, where every answer births five more questions, is textbook Simon. Think Plaza Suite by way of Survivor: Bear Country Edition. It’s no surprise, then, that audiences are walking out of early screenings calling Hines “a master of comic rhythm,” and “a writer whose pen is faster than most people’s thoughts.”
Above: Cali Scolari, Lydia Pearl Pentz in The Wilde Girls.
The Simon Connection: It’s in the DNA
Neil Simon didn’t just write comedies. He created worlds where characters were at war with themselves, their partners, and, usually, the English language. The Odd Couple’s Felix and Oscar didn’t just argue—they danced through misunderstandings like it was the tango. The Sunshine Boys turned grumbling into high art.
Hines taps into that same magic. His characters don’t just deliver jokes—they collide into each other with overlapping logic, devastating retorts, and half-thought-out schemes that would make Lucy and Ethel look like civil engineers. And underneath it all, as with Simon, is heart. The kind that sneaks up on you between laughs.
Mattie and Tinsley aren’t just ridiculous—they’re relatable. Their journey from penthouse to outhouse (okay, not literally) is ultimately about rediscovering themselves, their resilience, and yes, how to not die in the woods.
Above: Cali Scolari, Lydia Pearl Pentz and Teddy Smith in The WIlde Girls.
A Tradition of Talk: Film’s Great Verbal Sparrers. Hines stands on the shoulders of comedy giants such as Preston Sturges (The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels), Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot, The Apartment), Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle), Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday), And, of course, Neil Simon
What sets Hines apart is his ability to bring that legacy into the 21st century, without pandering or parody. His writing has tempo, his scenes have trapdoors, and his characters have no clue what they’re saying until the words are already halfway out of their mouths.
Hollywood, Meet Your New Classicist. Timothy Hines didn’t set out to be called “the new Neil Simon.” But if the brogues fit…
“Comedy is about contradiction,” says Hines. “A character says one thing, means another, and we laugh at what they don’t understand about themselves. That’s the joke. And life’s full of them.”
If The Wilde Girls is any indication, Hollywood may have just found its next great playwright-with-a-camera. And audiences? They’re in for a ride—over a cliff, maybe, but with impeccable timing.
Media ContactCompany Name: Pendragon PicturesContact Person: Susan GoforthEmail: Send EmailPhone: +1 310-480-0837City: Los AngelesState: CACountry: United StatesWebsite: www.pendragonpictures.com
