BOWFINGER

US, 1999, 93 minutes, Colour.
Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Terence Stamp, Christine Baranski, Robert Downey Jnr, Barry Newman.
Directed by Frank Oz.

Bowfinger was a critically acclaimed comedy, a successful vehicle for both Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. It is based on a screenplay by Steve Martin.

The film is set on the periphery of Hollywood, the unemployed actors who have little talent but have great hopes, the eccentric director who has very little money but whose life ambition is to make a movie. The film also shows the glamorous action star and his world of paranoia and psychological treatment. This all combines into a fine comedy when the director has the brainwave that he will film the star without his knowing it and create a film out of these scenes. Needless to say, it ends up with a Hollywood premiere and everybody happy with what is essentially a very derivative and trashy film. But, Bowfinger might be seen as a variation on the Ed Wood story with Steve Martin's Bowfinger almost as optimistic as Ed Wood and as admiring of the sequences that he films as Wood was. In fact, Chubby Rain, the title of the film within the film here, is not all that different from Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Steve Martin is at his best, speaking his own dialogue and witticisms. Eddie Murphy is also very good, completely believable as the paranoid action star as well as his shy and awkward brother. Murphy has shown, in such films as The Nutty Professor, Seals, that he is an excellent mimic. Heather Graham is very good, a variation on her role in many films including Boogie Nights, the ingenuous would-be star who sleeps her way to the top without any indication that she has any bad conscience at all. Terence Stamp is believable as the psychological guru, Christine Baranski gives another of her excellent comic performances and Robert Downey Jnr has a few moments as a bemused producer. Direction is by Frank Oz, who worked so well as Miss Piggy and other characters with The Muppets and directed a range of comedy including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Steve Martin, Little Shop of Horrors, In and Out.

1. An entertaining Hollywood spoof, the periphery of Hollywood, mainstream Hollywood? Laughing at the industry as well as with the industry?

2. The Los Angeles settings, Hollywood, the contrast with Bowfinger's dingy house and office? The contrast with Fitz home, luxury life? The streets, the locations, the Mindhead Headquarters? The score, the range of songs and their comment on the action?

3. The work of Steve Martin, writing, star, his perspective on Hollywood?

4. The introduction to Bowfinger, the phone cut off, his room, his reading the script and his optimistic "Wow" response, the irony of the title, Chubby Rain? His relationship with Betsy, his dog? Phoning his cast, the promises to Cal? His using Dave for the cars etc? Afrim as his writer and receptionist? Actors, photographers? His manner, his commanding presence, his asking them to take a risk, believe in him? His meeting, his appeal to the "little guys"? Their awe-inspired response to him? The title of the film and its explanation, the aliens in the rain? "Gotcha, suckers" as a dramatic moment for the end of the film? His dream of a FedEx? vehicle coming to deliver scripts to him? In the meantime having Dave's van? His manner of speaking, dress, the ponytail?

5. Carol, the would-be actress, her sense of dignity, the opportunity of doing Cats, her haughtiness, wanting to act, her scenes with Kit, her seeing them as dramatic, the overdone performances, tracking Kit, her actually speaking to him in the restaurant and his bewilderment? The ending and her saying it was all a beautiful lie?

6. Afrim, his keeping the accounts, his Muslim background, his large family, the writing, the liaison with Daisy and her dumping him? His sense of achievement?

7. Dave, the cars, the van, getting the equipment from the studio, putting it back, getting the information where Kit was, so that they could film him?

8. The actor, his scenes, as the seeming gangster confronting Kit Ramsay? His attraction towards Daisy, getting her the audition?

9. Daisy, arrival, the ingénue from Ohio? Twenty-five dollars for the audition, Bowfinger wanting cash, not accepting her? The actor and Afrim infatuated with her, getting her back, the reading, the long kiss? Her excitement in being in the film, the scenes with Kit Ramsay, running down the street with his briefcase, confronting him in the city? Her accent, her gyrations, the comic send-up of her style? Her using sex for getting better presents and films, the discussion with the actor and finding out about the writer, the discussion with the writer and finding out about the producer? Her liaison with Jiff? The irony of the end and her producing the major influential Lesbian in Hollywood? Heather Graham and her ability to portray innocence as well as calculation?

10. The decision to meet the producer, stealing the suit from the store, the mobile phone and the pretence talk about Kit Ramsay, the producer and his friend listening in, the discussion about the deal? His not being able to give the phone to the producer? His decision to make the film, the story about his savings and his method of making the film?

11. Seeing Kit Ramsay, paranoid, with his producer and the discussions? His wanting to make a movie, not a film? His reaction to the letter K in the scripts, to Shakespeare? His going to the Mindhead Institute, the doctor and his psychological advice? The session, his having to repeat the K-I-T? formula?

12. Bowfinger and his getting into Kit Ramsay's car, the discussions about Mindhead, his being thrown out of the car? His use of Mindhead - and the skit on such groups as Scientologists?

13. The storyboard, explaining everything to Dave, the zipcode, the hiring of the Mexicans - and their skills, reading Cahiers du Cinema as well as getting the footage of Kit Ramsay?

14. Bowfinger and the way of explaining the way of working, Kit not wanting to be near the camera, going to the house, chasing the car, Carol at the café? The car park and the dog with the high heels, the expression of fear? Carol and her discussion with Bowfinger about the aliens and about the sex scene?

15. Kit's disappearance into the institution, the discussions with the doctor, his getting the best of treatment? His relying on his assistant friend? Bowfinger and the need to have a substitute, the interviews with the prospective doubles, their needing to have a good butt? Meeting Jiff, his slowness, smiling, wanting to go on errands, being able to be the double, making him run across the highway - twice? Daisy and the strip and his thinking it was awesome? His willingness to do all the jobs?

16. Daisy and Jiff, the sex scene? The stealing? the credit cards?

17. The producer, his car being stolen, his casual comments about his car and his wife getting the kids?

18. Their getting ready to shoot at the shop, the bluff, the policeman and getting him on-side and giving him a part? The set-up, using the police, the acting, the reversed car, the issue about the plutonium? Dave and the camera and the director in the tree, the tracking shot with the car? Carol and her running, everybody chasing him?

19. The irony of Jiff explaining that he was Kit Ramsay's brother? Bowfinger and his having a conscience? His shrewd use of getting the information about the Kit amongst the other errands and coffee at Starbuck's and pencils? Daisy and her having sex with Jiff?

20. The sequences in the Griffith Observatory, the ending of the film, Kit and his being frightened, the aliens, Afrim and his collapsing, the policeman, Daisy and her gyrations, Carol and her threats with the knife, Carol's head? Kit terrified and not being able to do the final line?

21. The returning of the equipment, the Mexicans and their having the compromising footage of Kit exposing himself to the Lakers? The discussions with the doctor, the blackmail, the possibility of finishing the film?

22. The seeming failure of the film, Carol seeing it as a beautiful lie, everybody wondering what would happen? The blackmail succeeding? The premiere and everybody arriving, Daisy with Kit? Bowfinger and the group being put on the side, swelling with pride as the film went on? The finish with "Gotcha, suckers" and the applause?

23. The future, going to Taiwan, Jiff and Bowfinger and the rest of the cast in the Fake Purse Ninjas?