Synopsis
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.
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Cast
- Steve MartinHarris K. Telemacher
- Victoria TennantSara McDowel
- Richard E. GrantRoland Mackey
- Marilu HennerTrudi
- Sarah Jessica ParkerSanDeE
- Susan ForristalAriel
- Kevin PollakFrank Swan
- Sam McMurrayMorris Frost
- Patrick StewartMr. Perdue
- Andrew AmadorBob, News Anchor
Recommendations
- 100
Chicago Sun-Times
The film is astonishing in the amount of material it contains. It isn't thin or superficial; there is an abundance of observation and invention here. - 80
The New York Times
Basically decent, intelligent and sweet. It's a fanciful romantic comedy whose wildest and craziest notion is that Los Angeles, for all of its eccentricities, is a great place to live. - 80
Variety
Goofy and sweet, L.A. Story constitutes Steve Martin's satiric valentine to his hometown and a pretty funny comedy in the bargain. - 80
Washington Post
Martin's poetic elegance turns to sappy mysticism. And if the material had been presented more insistently, it might have been insufferable, too goopy and new-age. Its modesty, though, is its prime virtue. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
The trouble is, nothing about this couple is particularly rooted in Los Angeles. The love affair has a bland, generic feel. What's more, the picture lacks verve. - 60
Chicago Reader
There are still plenty of laughs and some inventiveness along the way...although some of the gags and contrived plot moves stumble over their own cuteness. - 50
The New Republic
Martin himself still seems to be filing in at run-throughs for the real star who couldn't make rehearsals. [11 March 1991, p.28] - 50
TV Guide Magazine
Unlike Woody Allen's New York City, which becomes a staging area for character angst and transformation, Martin's L.A. stifles the characters.
