46. L.A. Story

L.A. Story is simply one of the best romantic comedies ever made, so why doesn't it get more respect? For one thing, it is a comedy, and comedies, especially romantic comedies, don't get much respect from critics or film fans in general. Comedies are not considered to be as good as "serious" films, even though it is demonstrably harder to make a good comedy than it is to make a good drama. Comedies are considered frivolous and inconsequential, even though they can teach us as much about the human condition as any drama.

It is also tougher to be a good comic actor than it is to be a good dramatic actor. There are only a handful of good comic actors, and Steve Martin, the star and screenwriter of L.A. Story is one of them.

Take a look at some "Best Of" lists and you'll get an idea how poorly comedies fare, particularly romantic comedies. In the Internet Movie Database's top 250 list of films, voted on by the users of that indispensable web site, none of the top 10 films on the list is a comedy. Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, probably the greatest comedy of all time, is the top comedy on the list at number 13. The film voted the best comedy of all time by the American Film Institute, Some Like It Hot, straggles in at number 35 on the IMDB list. Singin’ in the Rain, widely regarded as the best musical ever made, and a romantic comedy as well, is number 47 on the list. There are very few comedies in the top 50. It Happened One Night, the classic romantic comedy, widely considered one of the best ever made, didn't even crack the top 100. The Rotten Tomatoes top 100 all-time list and the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 both have 25 percent or fewer comedies. Comedies are often snubbed when it comes time to hand out Oscars, too.

Steve Martin has written and starred in some of the smartest and best comedies in years, Bowfinger, L.A. Story and Roxanne. In L.A. Story, he had a great supporting cast, including Victoria Tennant as the romantic interest. Tennant was Martin's wife at the time the film was made (1991), and this is one of the few times a married couple has starred in a quality romantic comedy.

Patrick Stewart does a rare, and hilarious comic turn as Mr. Perdue, the autocratic Maitre D' at L'Idiot, a ridiculously snobbish restaurant. Perdue rules on the fitness of his prospective clients based on their status, and a comprehensive financial statement. Richard Grant also turns in a nice comic performance as Roland Mackey, the effete ex-husband of Tennant's character. Marilu Henner and Kevin Pollak also provide good supporting performances. There are also cameos by Woody Harrelson, Chevy Chase, Terry Jones (as mom's voice) and George Plimpton.

The film's soundtrack has an ethereal quality provided by Enya (who also provided songs for Lord of the Rings). Much of the film has a magical quality about it. In one sequence, a deer appears, as if by magic, in a Los Angeles yard. In another, the two adult stars are transformed into children walking through a fantasy world. One of the main characters in the film is an electronic sign that was reincarnated from a bagpipe. The sign gives romantic advice and performs miracles in the name of love. Magic happens all through the film.

The film is also wise and satirical. It has a lot to say about the shallow and self-centered California lifestyle. Los Angeles traffic is skewered in scenes featuring shootings on freeways and Martin's mad dash to work through back yards and alleys to avoid the morning gridlock. Another funny scene has Martin using his car like a scooter to roll a few feet along the street to his next-door neighbor's house rather than (perish the thought!) walk. Earthquakes, the sameness of the weather, physical fitness nuts, public flossing, dietary fads and Californians' lack of punctuality are all grist for Martin's comic mill.

Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex in the City appears in the film as SanDeE*, a valley girl with whom Martin has a disastrous fling, mainly "because I'm a big, dumb man," Martin says in the film's narration. This is typical of Martin's self-depreciating brand of comedy.

Martin, at his best here, is a kind of west coast Woody Allen, an outsider chronicling the foibles of Californians. At the same time, however, he is also an insider, trapped in the California lifestyle and as much a part of it as those he makes fun of. This inside-out duality is typified in one scene with Rick Moranis, who appears as a gravedigger. He and Martin engage in a takeoff on the "Alas, poor Yorick" exchange from Hamlet. It can be argued that Martin uses this scene to speculate about how he hopes he will be remembered "as a man of infinite jest" after he dies. It is certainly a great way to be remembered. Here's hoping this list will cause a few more people to remember comedies like this when they think of great films. (Robert Roten)