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"The
Midas Touch of 'Bowfinger'"
by Scott Mantz
"Bowfinger"
Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham
Directed by Frank Oz
There's one
thing Hollywood knows how to do best (other than waste money), and
that's make fun of itself. Pretentious, deceptive, and shallow as
hell, there's certainly a lot to pick on. "The Player", "The Big
Picture", and "My Favorite Year" are among the best of the show-biz
satires, but their small target audience didn't translate into big
box office. The only people who could really appreciate the "in"
jokes that highlighted these films were those who worked in "the
biz". Fortunately, "Bowfinger" breaks those barriers with an uproariously
hilarious comedy that gives new meaning to the words "guerrilla
filmmaking".
It makes sense
that the person responsible for this show-biz jibe is funnyman Steve
Martin. In his 1990 film "LA Story", writer Martin captured the
essence of Los Angeles in all its dysfunctional glory. The only
problem was if you didn't live here, you probably didn't "get" it.
"Bowfinger" proves that Martin's knowledge and appreciation of "the
business" is just as sharp and witty, but this time you don't have
to be on the inside to enjoy it.
Bobby Bowfinger
(Steve Martin) is a down-on-his-luck producer of such schlocky films,
he makes Ed Wood look like Orson Wells. His last shot at stardom
lies in a sci-fi script called "Chubby Rain" (don't ask!). This
will be a surefire hit if he can get hot action star-of-the-moment
Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to appear in the film, but Kit will not
give him the time of day. Desperate to make the film, Bowfinger
follows Kit everywhere with a camera crew, filming his every move
without him ever knowing it.
You'd think
Bowfinger was a total loser if it wasn't for his ingenious methods
in getting around the Hollywood system. He enlists illegal aliens
for his film crew in a way that gives new meaning to the words "below
the line". He recruits Kit's lookalike brother Jiff (also Murphy)
for a busy freeway scene, convincing him that all the cars are being
driven by experienced stuntmen. In one of the films funniest scenes,
Bowfinger puts his poor dog to use as a foley artist (that's Hollywood
lingo for "sound effects", baby!). That may be extreme, but what
makes Bowfinger different from every other Hollywood producer is
his presence of a conscience. Yes, he's desperate, but he realizes
that his crew is just as desperate as he is.
Why Martin and
Murphy haven't teamed together before is a mystery, as this is easily
Murphy's best role (or roles) since "The Nutty Professor". As Kit,
he is obviously having fun playing the spoiled, overly paranoid
action star. Whether this is self-parody or art imitating life,
Murphy has never been better. Just when he goes over the top with
his suspicions, Murphy switches gears and gives a more sympathetic,
but just as funny, performance as Kit's nerdy brother Jiff. Also,
Heather Graham brings a naive charm to her role as Daisy. You may
think she's just another aspiring actress fresh off the bus (literally),
but don't be fooled. She wants it all, and she'll sleep with whoever
it takes to get it.
Director Frank
Oz has proven himself to be a master of crowd-pleasing mainstream
films, as evidenced by "What About Bob?", "In and Out", and now
"Bowfinger". Actually, beneath all the zany hilarity of these movies
lies a very important message--its never too late to follow your
dreams. In show business, it may be about who you know, but if you
stay true to yourself and follow your heart, you just might point
your finger in the right direction for a happy ending--"Hollywood"
style.
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