The title of the film is an homage to the J. D. Salinger novella, Seymour: An Introduction (1959), one of Salinger's "Glass family" stories that introduces the character of Buddy Glass's brother, Seymour.
In a 2015 interview with The Dinner Party Download, Ethan Hawke spoke about a key theme he was trying to get across in the film: "When you sit with Seymour Bernstein, there's this subtle feeling that you get that life is worth living and that everything is interesting. You know? And there's something near-religious about being near him, but what's so wonderful is that he doesn't espouse any religion. As you said, he really doesn't preach... But he is monk-like and he is dedicated. We live in a culture that is constantly subtly supporting status and it creates this feeling in all of us that I think the point of life must be to win... There's something so refreshing about being around an intelligent, 80-year-old person who respects themselves and respects you, who is full of joy, who says, 'Guess what? There's no winning.' And it's this huge relief, I think. That's what I was getting after with him in these conversations."
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