L.A. Story (1991)

O Pointy Birds, O Pointy Pointy...

What can I say that hasn't already been said before? I was mesmerized by this film when I first saw it in theatres back in 1991. To me, L.A. Story is the quintessential fairy-tale/romantic comedy of Los Angeles. The city itself plays a central part in this story. New York and San Francisco are wonderful places in their own right, but Steve Martin sums up that certain something about L.A. that makes it the wonderfully peculiar, romantic, dreamy, quirky, and iconic city that it is.

This film also has some of the most memorable film quotes (they certainly rank among my favorites):

Harris: Let us just say I was deeply unhappy, but I didn't know it because I was so happy all the time.

Harris: I'll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon. (I thought this was a joke... until I started seeing people order oddball drinks like this at Starbucks stores which were beginning to crop up all over Southern California in the early 1990s.)

Harris: Why is it that we don't always recognize the moment when love begins but we always know when it ends?

Harris: Forget for this moment the smog and the cars and the restaurant and the skating and remember only this. A kiss may not be the truth, but it is what we wish were true.

Harris: SanDeE*, your... your breasts feel weird.
SanDeE*: Oh, that's 'cause they're real.

Sara: Why didn't you tell me you had just broke up with someone?
Harris: How do you know I just broke up with someone?
Sara: Because when men just break up with someone, they always run around with someone much too young for them.
Harris: She's not so young. She'll be 27 in four years.

Sara: What did you have in mind?
Harris: Well, I was thinking of taking you on a cultural tour of L.A.
Sara: That's the first fifteen minutes, then what?
Harris: All right, a cynic. First stop is six blocks from here.
Sara: Why don't we walk?
Harris: Walk? A walk in L.A.?

Harris: Sitting there at that moment I thought of something else Shakespeare said. He said, "Hey... life is pretty stupid; with lots of hubbub to keep you busy, but really not amounting to much." Of course I'm paraphrasing: "Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Harris: So there I was jabbering at her about my new job as a serious newsman - about anything at all - but all I could think was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful and yet again, wonderful.

Harris: Ordinarily, I don't like to be around interesting people because it means I have to be interesting too.
Sara: Are you saying I'm interesting?
Harris: All I'm saying is that, when I'm around you, I find myself showing off, which is the idiot's version of being interesting.

Harris: There comes a time in a person's life when it's now or never. It's now or never. Let me read to you from this book of poems: "O pointy birds, o pointy pointy. Anoint..." January 2, 2009

What Would Daddy Do?

If one wanted to do a mural for the town you grew up in, the town you experienced life within, the tow you call "home", how would it happen? Would paint and a blank canvass be the conventional and only method? Steve Martin, comedian at large, thinks not. In 1991 he wrote and starred in a Hollywood vehicle that shows his love for that western part of America - specifically the town he resides - Los Angeles. Continuing my quest through LA (which began with "LA Confidential" and continues with "LA Takedown" and "LA Without a Map"), Martin's film was a welcomed trip into the honesty of comedy, the ability to create smart jokes for audiences, and finally, be able to pull emotion from a story which involves a riddled electronic billboard. With characters centered in depth, comedy that sparks from the absurd and transforms into chaotic, and finally that underlying sense of fantasy - Martin proves again (beginning with "Roxanne") that he is more than just a zany comic, but an endearing member of Hollywood with true talent hidden behind the "Pink Panther" façade.

Why does "LA Story" work and remain an unsung hero within the era of 90s cinema? This is one of those films that when walking through the video store, or randomly thumbing through the television stations, may just pass you by. It is a subtle box with Steve Martin merely wearing skates in what seems to be a mid-dance pose. It isn't a grabbing photo, but then again, this isn't a grabbing film. This is subtle, smooth, and relaxing - "LA Story" is a film that requires numerous viewings, not because it is a deep story, but because of the scope of what Martin is trying to say. If the phrase "How Daddy is Doing" doesn't mean anything to do, than you need to reexamine this film. Everything fits in this movie. The actors are superb, playing into the world of absurd coupled with common, the acting is direct and whimsical, and the music enhances the experience. This is the perfect film for rainy days, spring afternoons, cold winters, or just about any other moment of life. There are jokes that will make you laugh out loud and others that will make you think. This is a film about falling in love - and it works.

As I write this review, I cannot wait to watch this movie again. This is a film I watched in the mid-90s and continue to watch, recommend, buy, and dedicate to friends and family - which is a rarity in today's standards.

Grade: ***** out of *****
December 14, 2008

LA Story DELETED SCENES John Lithgow

LA Story is a delight to watch. just wondering if this version has deleted scenes as a special feature. There is a deleted scene with John Lithgow as a producer of a musical play meeting with Steve Martin at an outdoor cafe that is so funny. The language used was a ratings barrier that would have limited the audience at the time. July 11, 2008

In a class of its own

I've just re-watched L.A. Story. It's one of my favorite movies ever. It's a nice love story, it's quirky, it's hilarious, it's seminal, and it's brilliantly filmed and cut. June 22, 2008

Absolutely a great Steve Martin film

This is a hysterical spoof of L.A. life in the 60s. Everybody is just a little crazy but everybody thinks it's normal. Steve Martin creates a hallmark movie that is great family entertainment. If you loved the 60s you'll love this movie. February 11, 2008

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