Bowfinger Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)August 26th, 1999
"Bowfinger" Produces the Goods
by Homer Yen
(c) 1999
Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) is perhaps the perfect example of the little guy in Hollywood that is so desperate to see his name up in lights. He's a small-time director (very small) who has yet to taste the sweet nectar of show biz success. His surroundings and his lifestyle are meager. He drives a beat-up van, wears outdated plaid jackets, and dilutes already-cheap wine with water to make it last longer. Yet, despite a long string of failures, his ambition remains undeniably strong. He convinces himself that success is just around the corner. He promises his friends that they'll all have their shot at stardom. He dreams about the day when shiny Federal Express trucks will come to his door delivering hot, new scripts from the big studios.
Not surprisingly, many of Bowfinger’s friends are also waiting for that rare chance to make it in Hollywood. His Iranian accountant longs to be a scriptwriter. His friend, Dave, continues to do odd favors for him because Bowfinger is as close as he’ll ever get to fame. And his leading lady has been promised time and time again to wait just a little bit longer until the right project comes along. Finally, the chance to put them on the map happens. The project is called “Chubby Rain”, a sci-fi drama about aliens in raindrops, penned by his very own accountant. His friends are all too eager to be a part of this project. Anybody else that may be needed to operate the equipment will be cheaply 'recruited'. Bowfinger is on a tight budget, and the most they can afford are illegal aliens fleeing across the Rio Grande. He also hires Daisy (Heather Graham), a girl with big dreams and a willingness to sleep her way to the top. The funny thing is that when she signs on for this film, she had no idea just how near the bottom she actually was.
Writer Steve Martin clearly understands the inner desire that many people have to become Hollywood players, the sacrifices that they are willing to make, and the hopes that they desperately try to keep alive. It’s almost bizarre as to just how much they want to make “Chubby Rain” work. But Martin also understands that fame can make stars eccentric. Take Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy). He’s the world’s hottest action star, and is needed to make this film work. But Ramsey is very manic, always telling himself to keep it together as he receives counseling from a new age cult called the Mind Heads. Kit is too busy, too stressed, or too weird to take part in such a small project.
Bowfinger comes up with a terrific idea. He tells his cast and crew that Kit is an eccentric actor and doesn’t want to meet any of them. His cast believes him because they are desperate to believe him. In the meantime, they set up secret cameras and shoot elaborate scenes. Actors walk up to Kit (not knowing that Kit is really not part of the movie), Kit reacts with absurd paranoia (he can’t understand why people are approaching him and talking about aliens), and Bowfinger’s amazing juggling act may actually work!
This is one of Martin’s strongest effort in recent years. “Bowfinger” is good-natured and intelligent. And considering the growing trend of ribald comedies, this is a breath of fresh air.
Grade: B
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