Bowfinger

Movie people love making movies about movie people, but too often the attempts at self-parody end up being self-congratulatory. Steve Martin is one of the few guys who gets it--he has successfully skewered both L.A. (L.A. Story) and classic cinema (Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid), and now nails the foibles of filmmakers in Bowfinger. Martin plays the titular character, a never-was producer/director convinced he's found his dream project in an alien invasion script called Chubby Rain. The only thing he needs to secure financing is the participation of the world's biggest action star, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy)--even if that means filming Ramsey without his knowledge. The key to Martin's success here is that he finds the absurdity in film culture while still recognizing its magical appeal. Recommended. (S. Renshaw)