[7] Steve Martin and Queen Latifah star in this farcical comedy about a prison escapee who elbows her way into an uptight lawyer’s life so he can help her overturn her wrongful conviction. Most of the laughs in Bringing Down the House come from the black/white culture clash, as Latifah tries to make Martin ‘cool’ and Martin tries to help Latifah pass through racist white …
[6] Steve Martin and director Carl Reiner team up for this absurdist, serendipitous comedy about a poor country boy who leaves his family to discover what the big city has to offer him. Martin’s character is an oblivious man-child whose ignorance and confusion sees him through a series of comic set-pieces that give The Jerk a skit-comedy feel for a while. Highlights include a gas …
[6] Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn star in this comedy of errors about a con artist (Hawn) who moves into an architect’s empty home and ingratiates herself into his family, his community, and his life. After the initial shock, Martin’s architect character doesn’t mind the con because Hawn’s lies have rekindled interest from an old flame (Dana Delany). Before long, the two stars are in …
[5] A prim and proper lady discovers she is infertile and hires a street-smart gal to be her ‘Baby Mama.’ As much as I like everyone in the cast — from stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, to Steve Martin, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, Holland Taylor, and Dax Shepard — Baby Mama comes off oddly restrained, never allowing Fey or Poehler to cut loose and …
[8] This ensemble drama from Big Chill director Lawrence Kasdan is perhaps the most metaphor-laden movie I’ve ever seen. The screenplay (cowritten by Kasdan and his wife, Meg) gets pretentious and overreaching at times, but a well-meaning message and a strong cast do a lot to compensate for it. Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Mary McDonnell, Steve Martin, Alfre Woodard, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeremy Sisto are …
[8] Dreamworks Animation’s maiden voyage is a stunning achievement of sight and sound. Impressionistic background paintings blend with sexy, angular character designs, all set to a brilliant soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. It kills me that stories from The Bible still pass as family entertainment, but I’m glad they do — how else am I going to find a mature, animated …
[8] Frank Oz directs the film version of Howard Ashman’s dark musical comedy (which was in turn based on Roger Corman’s original film). Rick Moranis plays a hapless flower shop employee who discovers an exciting new plant that brings much needed business. Problem is, the plant is carnivorous… and it’s getting bigger! Ellen Greene reprises the quirky role she originated in the off-Broadway production, and …
[8] I don’t usually like comedies or movies about making movies, so I was surprised to enjoy Bowfinger so much. Frank Oz (What About Bob?, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) directs and Steve Martin writes and co-stars with Eddie Murphy in this story about a down-and-out filmmaker who tricks his friends into making a movie starring one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Thing is, the big star doesn’t …
[7] Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin star as a divorced couple who start to fall back in love with each other, despite the fact that he’s remarried and she is seeing Steve Martin on the side. Romantic comedies are my least favorite genre, but when the characters are older, wiser, and self-actualized — not to mention played by pros of this caliber — they can …
[5] John Landis (Animal House, An American Werewolf in London) directs comedy heavyweights Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short in this goofy flick about three silent film stars who accept a job in Mexico only to realize it’s not a film they’re working on, but a real-life battle between a small village and their tyrannical overlord. I suppose for a kid-friendly comedy, ¡Three Amigos! …
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