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IMDbPro

L.A. Story

  • 19911991
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
33K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,479
3,376
L.A. Story (1991)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:38
2 Videos
46 Photos
ComedyDramaFantasy
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 1990s ... Read allWith 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 1990s Los Angeles.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 1990s Los Angeles.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
33K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,479
3,376
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mick Jackson
    • Writer
      • Steve Martin
    • Stars
      • Steve Martin
      • Victoria Tennant
      • Richard E. Grant
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mick Jackson
    • Writer
      • Steve Martin
    • Stars
      • Steve Martin
      • Victoria Tennant
      • Richard E. Grant
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 121User reviews
    • 58Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:38
    Official Trailer
    L.A. Story
    Trailer 1:12
    L.A. Story

    Photos46

    Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker in L.A. Story (1991)
    L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin and Marilu Henner in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin and Victoria Tennant in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin in L.A. Story (1991)
    Steve Martin and Frances Fisher in L.A. Story (1991)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Steve Martin
    Steve Martin
    • Harris K. Telemacher
    Victoria Tennant
    Victoria Tennant
    • Sara McDowel
    Richard E. Grant
    Richard E. Grant
    • Roland Mackey
    Sarah Jessica Parker
    Sarah Jessica Parker
    • SanDeE*
    Marilu Henner
    Marilu Henner
    • Trudi
    Susan Forristal
    • Ariel
    Kevin Pollak
    Kevin Pollak
    • Frank Swan
    Sam McMurray
    Sam McMurray
    • Morris Frost
    Patrick Stewart
    Patrick Stewart
    • Mr. Perdue, Maitre D' at L'Idiot
    Andrew Amador
    Andrew Amador
    • Bob, News Anchor
    Gail Grate
    • Gail, News Anchor
    Eddie De Harp
    • Maitre D' at Brunch
    • (as Eddie DeHarp)
    M.C. Shan
    • Rap Waiter at L'Idiot
    Frances Fisher
    Frances Fisher
    • June
    Iman
    Iman
    • Cynthia
    Tommy Hinkley
    Tommy Hinkley
    • Ted
    Larry Miller
    Larry Miller
    • Tom
    Anne Crawford
    • Sharon
    • Director
      • Mick Jackson
    • Writer
      • Steve Martin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Steve Martin and Victoria Tennant were married at the time.
    • Goofs
      In the credits Sarah Jessica Parker's character is listed as "Sandy" and not "SanDeE*".
    • Quotes

      Harris: Why is it that we don't always recognize the moment when love begins but we always know when it ends?

    • Crazy credits
      SanDeE* (Sarah Jessica Parker) is very peculiar about how her name is spelled. Still, the character is listed as "Sandy" in the credits.
    • Alternate versions
      A deleted scene featuring John Lithgow was reinstated in the cable-tv version of the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Queens Logic/Run/Meet the Applegates/The Vanishing (1991)
    • Soundtracks
      Epona
      Written by Enya

      Performed by Enya

      Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. / BBC Enterprises Ltd.

      By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

    User reviews121

    Review
    Top review
    Martin at His Best
    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.
    helpful•43
    4
    • csm23
    • Mar 9, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 8, 1991 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • LA Story
    • Filming locations
      • Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Carolco Pictures
      • IndieProd Company Productions
      • L.A. Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $28,862,081
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,616,915
      • Feb 10, 1991
    • Gross worldwide
      • $28,862,081
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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