May 2000

Bowfinger
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment:
Picture Quality:
Sound Quality:
Packaged Extras:

Starring Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Christine Baranski, Terence Stamp

Directed by Frank Oz

Theatrical Release: 1999
DVD Release: 1999
Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS
Widescreen (Anamorphic)

What happens when you take Saturday Night Live alumni Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin and put them together in a movie? What if that movie was scripted by Martin and directed by Frank Oz? Well, the result is Bowfinger, a film that may be loaded with veteran talent, but is still surprisingly fresh and amusing. Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin can both be incredibly funny when given the opportunity and Bowfinger gives them plenty to work with. Murphy has dual roles as Kit Ramsey, who is described as one of Hollywood’s biggest action movie stars, and as Kit’s nerdy brother Jiff. Martin plays Bobby Bowfinger, a third-rate producer trying to get a movie made -- any movie.

Having acquired a screenplay written by his accountant, Bowfinger plans to make a movie with Kit Ramsey as the star by using stolen equipment, a crew made up of illegal immigrants, and his not-so-talented friends and colleagues. The big glitch is that Kit Ramsey won't make a movie with him. The only way he can get Kit to appear in his movie is by tricking him. He secretly films him and then edits those scenes in with the rest of the footage. Ramsey, who is a little unstable to begin with, does not respond well to these staged encounters and eventually flees into hiding. With his main star gone Bowfinger is forced to hire a look alike, Jiff, to appear in the movie in Kit’s place. The result is hilarious!

Heather Graham is good as the not-so-naïve girl from Ohio who wants to make it in Hollywood, but it's Martin and Murphy who are exceptional. Not only does Murphy play Kit as his usual hip, fast-talking self, but as Jiff he shows his range and skill as an actor. His body language and facial expressions are extraordinarily funny and he makes Jiff instantly likeable and appealing. Martin is no less entertaining as Bowfinger with his deadpan delivery of some the funniest lines in the movie. Christine Baranski also does a credible job as the overacting and over-the-hill stage actress and Terence Stamp is perfect as the leader of the Mind Head cult.

Bowfinger benefits from having two wonderful performances by Murphy and Martin as well as a smart and observant script. There are some clever and funny scenes such as the one-way cell phone conversation that Bowfinger has in a restaurant, Daisy’s nude scene with Jiff, or the scene in which Kit purchases clothes at an exclusive Hollywood boutique. Although Martin pokes fun at just about everyone in Hollywood with this film, it is done without malice and the characters are always treated lovingly and with respect by his script.

This DVD is one of the first from a major studio that features both a Dolby Digital and a DTS 5.1 soundtrack. Although the soundtrack of Bowfinger is not one that would be considered reference quality, it still benefits from the enhanced resolution of DTS by providing a smoother and more refined sound. DTS provides more precise imaging, tighter bass, and a slightly deeper soundstage. For instance, in Chapter 3: The Action Star, the music images better with percussion and horns being less diffuse and there is a more realistic sound of screeching brakes when Bowfinger is thrown from Kit’s limousine. However, the Dolby Digital soundtrack also offers a pleasing surround experience with only slightly less fidelity. Both soundtracks offer a well-recorded music track with a sound that is definitely biased towards the front channels. The surround channels are used mostly for ambient effects with very few front-to-back or left-to-right split surround pans.

The picture quality of Bowfinger is excellent. Detail, contrast, and color fidelity are nearly perfect and are consistent from scene to scene. In Chapter 10: Inhaled Gonads, the interior of the exclusive boutique features very natural lighting with the black fabric of a suit that is being modeled being easily distinguishable from the black buttons on its sleeves. Even more impressive is the texture and shading in Kit’s woven sweater that appears amazingly lifelike. Even though Bowfinger contains a Dolby Digital, DTS, and 2 channel French soundtrack, there are still many extras that are included on this disc. The obligatory theatrical trailer is present along with deleted scenes, outtakes, and a production feature that contains interviews with the actors and director, Frank Oz. There is also an audio commentary track with Oz that provides some interesting technical details and production notes.

Bowfinger may not be a great film, but it is an enjoyable film about a lovable bunch of losers that is life affirming. It is not mean spirited in any way and only pokes gentle fun at its characters that are well written by Martin and wonderfully developed by the actors.

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