Some months ago, I saw a bunch of previews for this summer's movies, and the trailer for Bowfinger had me rolling in the aisles. For once, there's truth in advertising -- it's one of the funniest movies I've seen this year.
Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin, in a performance that's not all it could be) is a never-has-been director who thinks his last chance to hit the big time is with a script called Chubby Rain. He wants paranoid superstar Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to star, but of course can't get him. So he uses Kit in his movie surreptitiously, sending his actors up to the bemused star to spout their lines (which naturally feeds Kit's paranoia) while the crew films from bushes across the street. To supplement this guerilla shooting, Bowfinger hires Jiff (also Murphy), a doofy Kit look-a-like.
Eddie Murphy is funnier in both his roles than I've seen him in a long time. His first speech alone has enough one-liners to make it worth the price of admission. Heather Graham is terrific as wide-eyed ingenue Daisy -- she gets off the bus in Hollywood and breathlessly asks, "Where do I go to be a star?" Though she makes it the most explicit, that's pretty much the attitude of all the members of Bowfinger's cast and crew -- they wouldn't be in Hollywood if they didn't want to be stars. What lifts Bowfinger above a mere jokefest, albeit a smart one, is the poignant affection the filmmakers have for the quixotic dreams of Bowfinger and his crew. Sure, Bowfinger is a con artist, but he also honestly believes, like Ed Wood, that he's making a masterpiece. Just because you're a hustler doesn't mean you can't be a dreamer, too.
So suspend your disbelief and go see this movie.
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