| L.A. Story | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Mick Jackson |
| Produced by | Daniel Melnick |
| Written by | Steve Martin |
| Starring | Steve Martin Victoria Tennant Richard E. Grant Marilu Henner Sarah Jessica Parker |
| Music by | Peter Melnick |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Editing by | Richard A. Harris Greg Le Duc |
| Studio | Carolco Pictures |
| Distributed by | TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 8, 1991 |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
L.A. Story is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, written by and starring Steve Martin. Set in Los Angeles, California, it relates a series of episodes in the romantic life of an L.A. TV weatherman. It includes surreal sequences in which he is offered romantic advice flashed to him by a freeway sign. The movie blends romantic comedy with elements that both satirize and celebrate L.A. culture. The film was directed by Mick Jackson. The soundtrack includes three songs by Enya, "On Your Shore" and "Exile" (from Watermark) and "Epona" (from Enya).
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Steve Martin plays Harris K. Telemacher, a TV meteorologist living in Los Angeles. He is in a dead-end relationship with his social-climbing, live-in girlfriend Trudi, played by Marilu Henner, and wants to find some meaning and magic in his life. At a luncheon with a group of friends, he meets Sara, a journalist from London played by Victoria Tennant with whom he immediately becomes infatuated. Driving home that night, his car breaks down on the freeway and he pulls over on to the hard shoulder. He comes to realize that a freeway traffic condition sign is displaying messages intended solely for him. The sign offers Harris cryptic advice on his love life throughout the movie. He begins to fall for Sara, but she is conflicted because she has tentatively pledged to reconcile with her ex-husband, Roland, played by Richard E. Grant. Feeling that a relationship with Sara is unlikely, Harris decides to go out with a ditzy blonde named SanDeE*, a wannabe spokesmodel, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, whom he meets at a clothing store. After his first date with SanDeE*, Harris discovers that his girlfriend Trudi has been cheating on him for three years with his agent. The discovery leads him to pursue his romantic interest in Sara. This is complicated by his new relationship with SanDeE* and by Sara's feeling of obligation to her ex-husband. By the story's conclusion, he has successfully wooed Sara - with some encouragement and advice from the freeway sign that displays messages just for him.
There are uncredited cameo appearances by Chevy Chase, Woody Harrelson, Paula Abdul, Martin Lawrence, Rick Moranis and Terry Jones. John Lithgow and Scott Bakula filmed scenes - respectively as a movie agent and Harris's neighbour - that didn't appear in the final cut (although references to Lithgow's character remain in the freeway shootout and the 'California Cuisine' lunch scenes).
It has a 94% rating of top critics on Rotten Tomatoes. L.A. Story was voted by a group of Los Angeles Times writers and editors as the 20th best film set in Los Angeles in the last 25 years - with two criteria: "The movie had to communicate some inherent truth about the L.A. experience, and only one film per director was allowed on the list".[1]
American Film Institute recognition:
The film was a box office success. [3]
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