For us Steve Martin aficionados, we who laughed ourselves senseless during"All of Me," and "The Man With Two Brains," and "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid," we who loved "Pennies from Heaven," "L.A. Story" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," we who solved the puzzle that was "The Spanish Prisoner" and were struck by the eloquence of "Shopgirl" (both his novella and the movie based on it), there would seem to be three faces of Steve. One is the slapstick genius ("The Jerk," "All of Me"), the second the restless artist ("Pennies from Heaven," "Shopgirl") and the third the platinum-haired guy who tarnishes his rep by appearing in recycled schlock such as "Cheaper By the Dozen" and "The Pink Panther." Why a comic original would want to remake a character created by another comic original, Peter Sellers, is beyond me.
The good news: Martin is hosting "Saturday Night Live" on Jan. 31. The bad: His second "Panther" film opens February 6. Can you say fromage?
Your favorite Steve?
One of my all-time favorite romantic comedies and the one he probably could have gotten an award or two for: Roxanne. Although Fred Willard's mayor has the best line: "I would rather be with the people of this town than with the finest people in the world." And in second place, Martin's cameo as a sadistic dentist in Little Shop of Horrors.— jreese- The Good Steve Martin: "Rosxanne," "L.A. Story," "The Lonely Guy," "HouseSitter," "All of Me," "Pennies from Heaven," "Parenthood," "My Blue Heaven," "Mixed Nuts," "Leap of Faith," "Dead men Don't Wear Plaid," "Little Shop of Horros," "Planes, Trains and Automobile," "The Man With two Brains," "The Spanish Prisoner," "Bowfinger," "Novocaine" and "Grand Canyon." That's a lot. The Bad Steve Martin: "The Jerk," "Sgt. Bilko," the "Father of the Bride" twins, "A Simple Twist of Fate," "The Out-of-Towners," "The Pink Panther," "¡Three Amigos!," "The Cheaper by the Dozen" twins and "Bringing Down the House." For me, "Shopgirl" worked only in fitting ways, and falls in between. So, for me, there are only two Steve Martins.— Pash
- "Roxanne" is lovely and lively. There's an opening sequence, worthy of Chaplin, where Martin darts and dances on his way to work. And another sequence where Daryl Hannah has ejected him from her house and says, "Get out" and, already on the porch, he replies "I am out" that keeps circling around like an Abbot & Costello routine.— carrierickey
- I love the comic genius of "The Jerk" and "The Man With Two Brains"(and the stand-up comedy that preceded and was concomitant with those)...but I also love the writer. He really has a gift for words!— pianistcomposer
- The reason he makes the schlock, I believe, is to pay for his addiction to expensive art.— edwardcopeland
- Edward: Yes, Martin was one of the early supporters and collectors of 19th century American art, which was the gateway drug, to borrow your expression, for 20th century American modernism.— carrierickey
- I also think he makes the schlock so he can get the money to make the good stuff - or at least the more esoteric stuff. You've probably read it already, but I just started his autobiography, Born Standing Up, and I'd definitely put it with the good Steve. (Oh, and he was a good Oscar host, as well. "People think everyone in Hollywood is taking drugs and sleeping with other people's wives. Probably because that's true.")— wwolfe
- "Born Standing Up" is gently hilarious. And Martin ties with Johnny Carson as best Oscars host.— carrierickey
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