Bowfinger (1999)

When a desperate movie producer fails to get a major star for his bargain basement film, he decides to shoot the film secretly around him.

Director:

Frank Oz

Writer:

Steve Martin

Stars:

Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Martin	...	Bowfinger
Eddie Murphy	...	Kit Ramsey / Jiff Ramsey
Heather Graham	...	Daisy
Christine Baranski	...	Carol
Jamie Kennedy	...	Dave
Barry Newman	...	Kit's Agent
Adam Alexi-Malle	...	Afrim
Kohl Sudduth	...	Slater
Terence Stamp	...	Terry Stricter
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Jerry Renfro
Alejandro Patiño	...	Sanchez (as Alejandro Patino)
Alfred De Contreras	...	Martinez
Ramiro Fabian	...	Hector
Johnny Sanchez	...	Luis
Claude Brooks	...	Freddy

Storyline

Forty-nine year old Bobby Bowfinger is the owner/president of a Hollywood-based production company, Bowfinger International Pictures. The company has yet to produce a film, Bobby's personal net worth is virtually zero, and the company only has $2,184 to its name, $1 invested into it personally by Bobby every week since he first decided he wanted to make a movie when he was a child. Bobby believes his fortunes will change when his accountant Afrim changes hats and writes a science-fiction alien invasion screenplay that Bobby thinks all studios will clamor for and has Oscar written all over it. He has a small stable of followers who support his vision in being part of this movie, which eventually includes Daisy as the lead actress, she a stereotypical small town girl looking to make it big in Hollywood. Having just arrived in town, she does not know her way around the Hollywood system,... except on her proverbial back. Bobby is not averse to telling bald-faced lies in his singular focus...

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Plot Keywords:

guerrilla filmmaking | film within a film | satire | scientology parody | filmmaking | 

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Taglines:

Devious, ruthless, shameless

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex-related material and language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bowfinger's Big Thing

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,062,550, 15 August 1999

Gross USA:

$66,384,775

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$98,625,775

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 85 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Eastman Color) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gary Coleman worked on the set as a security guard.

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Goofs

Bowfinger takes off his fake pony tail and puts it in his left coat pocket before going into the restaurant. When he pulls out his business card and gives it to Jerry Renfro, he puts his hand in his right pocket, and the fake pony tail is attached to his card.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Robert K. Bowfinger: Wow. Great script. Great script!
[to his dog]
Robert K. Bowfinger: Betsy? It's now or never. We are gonna make a movie.

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Crazy Credits

After the last credits roll, Kit's line, "I saved the world! I saved it," can be heard.

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Alternate Versions

DVD "deleted scenes" section contains a much longer version of the "this script, this masterpiece" scene which in a Martin monologue explains why an accountant would write a sci-fi script. His first script, about the exciting world of accounting, was rejected in favor of something that at least has aliens in it. The title is "Star Wars," but that will have to be changed. Another scene features the most avant-garde dry-cleaning place you'll ever see, explaining better the "Kit's dry cleaning" material later on.

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Connections

References 48 Hrs. (1982)

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Soundtracks

Secret Agent Man
Written by Steve Barri, P.F. Sloan (as P.S. Sloan)
Performed by Johnny Rivers
Courtesy of Captiol Records
By Arrangement with EMI Music Special Markets

User Reviews

One of the most funniest and most original comedies of the late 1990's.

Stage actor turned Grade Z amateur filmmaker:Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) is Hollywood's least successful director. When Bowfinger decides to make an ultra low-budget film with the hottest action star:Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy). But Bowfinger will filmed his latest protect without Ramsey never knowing that he's in the movie! Bowfinger uses his crew and his actors to act with Rasmey in several scenes to pull the scam off. But Rasmey is actually a paranoid action star, who believes in aliens and other outrageous things. For Bowfinger's ingenious scheme, he decides to use a double for Rasmey, a nerdy look-alike (Also played by Murphy).

Directed by Frank Oz (HouseSitter, Little Shop of Horrors-1986, The Stepford Wives-2004) made an wildly funny comedy that is actually based on a real incident in the late 1920's with actress Mary Pickford, which it's hard to be believe. Still, this comedy manages to be quite original and also this is an underrated film. Good supporting cast includes:Heather Graham, Christine Baranski, Jamie Kennedy, Terence Stamp, Adam Alexi-Malle, Kohl Sudduth and Robert Downey, Jr. Murphy is fun in is dual role (especially in the role of the nerdy look-alike). Sharp, funny script by actor:Martin (The Jerk, Roxanne, Shopgirl). (****/*****).