Steve Martin- Tossup

I have to admit, I’m at a tossup on which Steve Martin movie we should watch and critique next in film studies.

No worries though, I’ve narrowed it down to two films: Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982) and Bowfinger (1999). I think either of these films would be excellent options to watch where Steve Martin is concerned. The genres of the films are both similar, yet, slightly different. They’re both similar in the the same respect that they are both comedy/parody spoof films but that and Steve Martin, is where the line is drawn. 

The film, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, the genre of the film is also a mystery and somewhat of a film noir whereas Bowfinger is not. However, I think that these could both be very entertaining Steve Martin pieces to watch.

In one film, he plays a detective solving an unusual case and in the other he plays a producer/director who tries to land a famous actor in his film, but when the actor refuses he decides to film him anyway and secretly hims his every move causing him to go crazy. Bowfinger, has a lot of references to scientology and it gives people an interesting perspective behind the lens of a camera- what goes into making a movie. Although, keeping in mind Bowfinger, is a comedy/parody film it’s important to note that many things are overly exaggerated for comedic effect. Bowfinger, stars Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. Martin also wrote the screenplay of the film.

As for Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, Martin was one of three writers of the film having written it with Carl Reiner and George Gipe. Martin narrates this film and stars as the main character, a P.I. (private investigator).

I think both of these films would be interesting Steve Martin films to study in class, they are both comedies that Martin not only starred but wrote or helped to write. I think watching Steve Martin perform his own work would be definitely be interesting, and well worth the critique of not only his acting but the story itself.