Cast: Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Christine Baranski, Terence Stamp, Adam Alexi-Malle, Jamie Kennedy
Director: Frank Oz
Producer: Brian Grazer
Screenplay: Steve Martin
Cinematography: Ueli Steiger
Music: David Newman
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Over the years, there have been a number of good films about the process of making a bad movie. Bowfinger is the latest entry into this semi-elite group. Powered by a hilarious, high-octane performance by Eddie Murphy and a witty, boisterous script by his co-star, Steve Martin, Bowfinger offers 90-plus minutes of solid entertainment. It's a comic oasis in the midst of the mid-August desert of motion picture mediocrity, and contains some of the biggest laughs of the year.
There's no doubt that the character of Bobby Bowfinger (played with pizzazz by Martin) is modeled on schlockmeister Ed Wood, whose motion picture legacy is a series of films that could fit snugly on just about anyone's all-time Worst 10 list. Not only does Bowfinger have Wood's enthusiasm for the movie-making process, but he shares the real-life director's boundless inventiveness and general lack of talent. Bowfinger's masterpiece, a campy science fiction endeavor called Chubby Rain, has the look and feel of an Ed Wood sensation. Those who saw Tim Burton's bio-pic, Ed Wood, will immediately recognize the kinship between Bowfinger and the character essayed by Johnny Depp.
When he reads the script for Chubby Rain and decides that this is the movie he has been waiting for, Bowfinger is already in dire financial straits. AT&T is after him to pay his bills, his actors are about to walk out on him, and the dream he has nursed for 39 years is in danger of fading under the harsh sun of reality. But Bowfinger manages to round up a group of performers, "borrow" the necessary equipment, and acquire the green light from high-power producer Jerry Renfro (Robert Downey Jr.). There's only one catch - for Renfro to back the movie's distribution, Bowfinger has to land action mega-star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) as his lead. And, when Kit sees the script, his immediate reaction is an emphatic "NO!" But that's only a minor bump in the road for Bowfinger. He forges ahead, using a hidden camera to photograph Kit as his actors come up to the star on the sidewalk and in restaurants saying their lines. Soon Kit, paranoid at the best of times, is convinced that aliens are out to get him. And, when he disappears, Bowfinger must hire a lookalike replacement.
Bowfinger does what all good comedies do - it builds comic momentum as the film unfolds. This isn't just a series of gags strung together; it's a carefully orchestrated composition that delivers bigger and bigger laughs the longer it runs. Three principals deserve credit for this. The first is director Frank Oz, who is no stranger to humorous endeavors (his resume lists, among other things, both 1986's Little Shop of Horrors and 1997's In and Out). The second is Steve Martin, whose script isn't just funny, but shows a genuine affection for movies and the process by which they are made. Finally, there's Eddie Murphy, who gives his best performance since The Nutty Professor, and arguably even tops his work in that film. Murphy has two parts to play: the volatile Kit, who sees everything as a sinister plot calculated by the White Man, and the shy, nerdy Jiff, who blushes at the thought of showing his bare butt to the camera. Both are uniquely brilliant interpretations, with each getting his share of laughs. If Bowfinger turns into a late summer hit, an Oscar nomination for the popular actor wouldn't be out of the question.
The filmmakers have assembled an interesting cast. Although Martin has top billing, he willingly cedes the spotlight to Murphy. Also along for the ride is Heather Graham, most recently was seen as Austin Power's latest girlfriend in The Spy Who Shagged Me. Here, Graham plays a would-be actress fresh off the bus from Ohio who understands that the way to get ahead in Hollywood is to sleep with as many influential men (and women) as possible. Christine Baranski essays one of the most over-the-top actresses in Tinseltown. And Terence Stamp portrays the Svengali-like leader of a cultist group called "Mind Head." (One wonders if this is a jab at Scientology and its growing following.)
Bowfinger saves the best for last. The concluding series of scenes (excerpts from another Bowfinger masterpiece) are worth the price of admission in their own right. They're funny not just because they're madcap and silly (which they are), but because they display a knowledge of the subtleties of movie-making and utilize this know-how to create an unforgettable send-up of chop-socky action sequences. Not since Keenan Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka has a fight scene been done with this many winks at the audience. (None of the hero's punches or karate chops comes anywhere close to the bad guys). The last picture about making movies to get so many things right and to generate this number of laughs was Tom DiCillo's masterful Living in Oblivion. And, while Bowfinger isn't quite on Oblivion's level, it's close. With all of the ingredients blended effectively together, Oz, Martin, and Murphy can be credited for supplying a deliciously amusing confection.
© 1999 James Berardinelli