L.A. Story might be an appropriate title, but it's not too memorable. I remember "Dirty Rotten Scandals" and "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," but when I woke up the next morning, it took me a minute to remember what this film was called.
It works within the Rom Com genre, and it features Harris (Steve Martin) and Sara (Victoria Tennant). He's a "wacky weekend weatherman," -- you have to be wacky in L.A., because the weather supposedly never changes. She's a British journalist in L.A. on assignment. In real life, Martin and Tennant were actually married when this film was made; I read a review or two that suggested that maybe Tennant wasn't the best person to cast in the role, but I thought she was fine, and a good contrast to Sandy (Sarah Jessica Parker).
Parker, by the way, is so over-the-top in her role -- as she should be for her character. And her hair is perfect. This film was made in 1991, after all, the apex of feminine hair excellence.
Anyway, as I was watching the film, I started to wonder if Martin had been watching Shakespeare recently. A few Hamlet references sneak their way into the script, including the Electronic Road Sign's use of the quote: "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” This Electronic Road Sign, by the way, is a character in the film. When people ask for a "sign," Martin took that idea and found a way to make it concrete. Roadside signs are supposed to give you information about upcoming road conditions, but this one gives life, dating, and love advice.
Out of curiosity, I ChatGPTed L.A. Story and Shakespeare, and it noted that the movie lines up a lot more with A Midsummer Night's Dream. Maybe intentionally so... and that makes sense, as, again, L.A. Story is a Rom Com, not a Tragedy. It might be fun to watch L.A. Story as a "modern version" on A Midsummer Night's Dream. I didn't, but I like that the layer is there to explore if you're up to it.
Who should Harris be dating, and for that matter, who should he be? He's currently dating a woman, but she's not right for him. He just doesn't know how to stop dating her. He's in his 40s, so dating Sandy, who is in her early 20s, doesn't make a lot of sense, either. Could he be dating Sara? That would be a lot more age-appropriate, and they seem to vibe, but she hasn't completely closed the door on her ex-husband. So it's complicated. At no point that Harris NOT want to be dating someone. It's just the whole game and hassle of finding the right woman...
As I said, this is a Rom Com, so there will be the drams that keeps Harris apart from his "true match," but you know your boy will eventually be with her when the movie rolls credits. If only real life was like a Rom Com in that respect, am I right?
This movie was a slow cooker for me. That is, it took me a while to adjust to some of the goofiness, but once I did, I found it quite enjoyable, and I think that if I watched it a second time, I'd probably like it a lot more, or at least a lot earlier into the story.
After a while, I started writing down some of the lines that made me pop. There were quite a few, but I'll just end by providing a few examples:
Harris: "She's not so young. She'll be 27 in 4 years."
**
Harris: "Your breasts feel weird."
Sandy: "That's because they're real."
***
Harris: "What's that clanging noise?"
Roland (Sara's ex) "That's my testicles. Damn nuisance. "
Rating: 4/5 stars
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