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L.A. Story
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L.A. Story (1991)

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User Rating: 6.7/10 (11,773 votes)
Photos (see all 24 | slideshow) Videos
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
Mick Jackson
Writer (WGA):
Steve Martin (written by)
Release Date:
8 February 1991 (USA) more view trailer
Tagline:
Something funny is happening in L.A.
Plot:
With the help of a talking freeway billboard, a "wacky weatherman" tries to win the heart of an English newspaper reporter, who is struggling to make sense of the strange world of early-90s Los Angeles. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Martin Marries in Surprise Wedding (From WENN. 30 July 2007)
Martin To Wed (From WENN. 24 July 2007)
User Comments:
Martin at His Best more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Steve Martin ... Harris K. Telemacher

Victoria Tennant ... Sara McDowel
Richard E. Grant ... Roland Mackey
Marilu Henner ... Trudi

Sarah Jessica Parker ... SanDeE*
Susan Forristal ... Ariel

Kevin Pollak ... Frank Swan
Sam McMurray ... Morris Frost

Patrick Stewart ... Mr. Perdue, Maitre D' at L'Idiot

Andrew Amador ... Bob, News Anchor
Gail Grate ... Gail, News Anchor
Eddie De Harp ... Maitre D' at Brunch
M.C. Shan ... Rap Waiter at L'Idiot

Frances Fisher ... June

Iman ... Cynthia

Tommy Hinkley ... Ted

Larry Miller ... Tom
Anna Crawford ... Sharon (as Anne Crawford)
Samantha McCoy ... Sheila (as Samantha Caulfield)
Thornton Simmons ... Man
Dennis Dragon ... Crook
Richard Stahl ... Bank Executive
Aaron Lustig ... Boring Speaker
Julianna McCarthy ... Woman (as Juliana McCarthy)

Time Winters ... Floss Waiter at L'Idiot
Pierre Epstein ... Chef

Wesley Thompson ... Jesse
George Plimpton ... Straight Weatherman
David Glyn Price ... Pilot (as David G. Price)

Wesley Mann ... Tony, Gas Station Attendant
Mark Steen ... Tod PA

Jaime Gomez ... Tod PA
Amy Wallace ... Tod PA
Cheryl Baker ... Changing Room Woman
May Boss ... Old Woman (as Mary R. Boss)
Scott Johnston ... Co-Pilot
Robert Lind ... Chainsaw Juggler
Tony Marsico ... Hard Rock Patron
Burt Macke ... Cameraman (as Burt Nacke)
Mary Pedersen ... Airline Ticket Agent
Matt Stetson ... Spokesmodel Teacher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

John Lithgow ... Harry Zell (scenes deleted)

Brian Banowetz ... Bellman (uncredited)

Sean Michael Beyer ... Parking Valet (uncredited)
Michael E. Burgess ... Waiter (uncredited)

Chevy Chase ... Carlo Christopher (uncredited)

Woody Harrelson ... Harris' Boss (uncredited)
Terry Jones ... Sara's Mother (voice) (uncredited)
Rick Moranis ... Gravedigger (uncredited)

Robert Picardo ... Voicephone (voice) (uncredited)
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Directed by
Mick Jackson 
 
Writing credits
(WGA)
Steve Martin (written by)

Produced by
Mario Kassar .... executive producer
Steve Martin .... executive producer
Daniel Melnick .... producer
Michael I. Rachmil .... producer (as Michael Rachmil)
 
Original Music by
Peter Rodgers Melnick  (as Peter Melnick)
 
Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Richard A. Harris 
Greg Le Duc (video)
Shane A. Walsh (documentary segment)
 
Casting by
Mindy Marin 
 
Production Design by
Lawrence Miller 
 
Art Direction by
Charles Breen 
 
Set Decoration by
Chris Butler 
 
Costume Design by
Rudy Dillon 
 
Makeup Department
Robert Ostermann .... makeup artist
Joy Zapata .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Chris Coles .... production manager
Michael R. Sloan .... post-production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albert Cho .... second assistant director
Albert M. Shapiro .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Steve Callas .... construction coordinator
Michael Anthony Jackson .... storyboard artist
Daniel R. Jennings .... set designer
Philip Steuer .... property master
Douglas M. Vaughn .... set dresser
 
Sound Department
David W. Alstadter .... foley mixer
Lon Bender .... supervising sound designer
Neal Burger .... sound editor (as Neal Berger)
Stuart Copely .... sound editor
Dino Dimuro .... sound effects editor
Larry Kemp .... supervising sound editor
Richard King .... sound editor
Lou Kleinman .... sound editor
Steve Mann .... sound editor
Harrison D. Marsh .... utility sound technician
Glenn T. Morgan .... sound editor
Richard Portman .... sound re-recordist
Roul .... sound editor
Steve F.B. Smith .... stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Gina Spiro .... sound assistant
James G. Stewart .... sound recordist
Mark P. Stoeckinger .... supervising sound editor
Lionel Strutt .... adr mixer
Douglas Vaughan .... boom operator
James E. Webb .... production sound
Asher Yates .... sound editor
 
Special Effects by
Alan E. Lorimer .... special effects coordinator
 
Visual Effects by
Chuck Comisky .... visual effects supervisor
Christopher Nibley .... visual effects director of photography
Luc G. Nicknair .... first assistant camera/Vistavision first assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Joe Dunne .... stunt coordinator
Bob Herron .... stunts
Courtney Pakiz .... stunt diver
George Marshall Ruge .... stunts
Cris Thomas-Palomino .... stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Adam Alphin .... camera loader
Jack Bauer .... best boy grip
Edward Gold .... camera operator
Peter C. Jensen .... steadicam operator
Michael Kelem .... aerial camera operator
Lane Russel .... second assistant camera
Michael Shanman .... lighting board operator
Patricia Van Over .... first assistant camera (as Pattie Vanover)
Shane A. Walsh .... camera operator: documentary
Thomas Enright .... electrician (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Marko Friedman .... costumer
Lisa Stewart .... costumer
 
Editorial Department
Noori Dehnahi .... post-production coordinator
Jane Kass .... assistant editor
Michael Rafferty .... apprentice editor
 
Music Department
Steven Bernstein .... orchestrator
Nicky Ryan .... music producer
 
Other crew
Michael Barnes .... legal attorney
Steve Cowie .... set production assistant
Gina Fortunato .... assistant production coordinator
Mario Kassar .... presenter
Diana Lui .... production assistant
Liz Matthews .... assistant location manager
Debbie Merril .... roller skating instructor: Mr. Martin
Boone Narr .... animal trainer
Anthony L. Paquet .... first aid
Anne Trop .... assistant: Mick Jackson
Ray Zimmerman .... production accountant
 


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Additional Details

Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 56% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Cameo: [Paula Abdul]roller skater in front of Tail O' the Pup. more
Goofs:
Continuity: As Sarah tells Harris of her weekend plans with her ex-husband, her hands change position on the car door between shots. more
Quotes:
Harris: If confusion about your love life is ruining your day, I think it's good to go over to your best friend's house and ruin her day too. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in All That I Need (2005) more
Soundtrack:
You Drive Me To Distraction more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 19 people found the following comment useful:-
Martin at His Best, 9 March 2003
Author: Casey Machula (csm23@jan.ucc.nau.edu) from Flagstaff, AZ

When Steve Martin is hot, he's really hot. L.A. Story, written by Steve Martin, is hot. The entire film keeps you in a state of constant chuckling. And, the movie has more than a few moments of comedic genius. It's the cumulative effect of little jokes littered throughout the film, both verbal and visual, that keeps you in stitches. On top of that, it piques your interest.

Here's what I mean: while Martin mercilessly it pokes fun of L.A. for it's flakiness, it's love and tolerance of idiosyncrasies, it's constant preoccupation with image, it's narcissism, the humor is never vulgar, crass, or shallow. For example, one scene takes place in the municipal art museum. We see Harry Telemacher (Steve Martin), with his friends, rapt in admiration for a painting. The camera angle comes from the canvas itself, where we watch Harry, deep in thought, dissertate on the subjects in the portrait, their motives, actions, and hidden agendas. He moves forward, backward, forward again, as if in active dialogue with the lacquer. At last, moving backward, he concludes his remarks by wrinkling his nose in disgust and saying `Look at the way he's holding her: it's almost filthy!' And then the camera moves around to Telemacher's perspective. The painting's a total abstraction. There isn't a distinct line in the entire rectangular frame. In the argot of Postmodernism, one might call it a `readerly' work of art.

It's the perfect metaphor for L.A., where you may interpret anything, any way you like. There's no standard, except one's own `personal reality.' No one can use social norms as a personal club to tell someone else, `You're wrong,' because there is none. It's all `what-E-verrrr.'

Best of all, L.A. Story is a love story, the kind of love that adores someone as much for their faults as for their virtues. Martin's satire is so effective because he loves the city so much.

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Steve's Magic gadget skates? Real thing? Volken
any favorite lines?? bwbetts-1
Eric Idle anybody? xlunacyx
What were the little things you noticed? despeyland
L.A. Story trivia callisto-12
A joke I didn't get... AJMST3K
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