Bowfinger

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Bowfinger

PG-13

Released Aug 13, 1999

1h 37m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

113 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

On the verge of bankruptcy and desperate for his big break, aspiring filmmaker Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) concocts a crazy plan to make his ultimate dream movie. Rallying a ragtag team that includes a starry-eyed ingenue (Heather Graham), a has-been diva (Christine Baranski) and a film studio gofer (Jamie Kennedy), he sets out to shoot a blockbuster featuring the biggest star in Hollywood, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) -- only without letting Ramsey know he's in the picture.

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Critics Consensus

A witty commentary on modern film-making, with enough jokes to keep it entertaining throughout.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Entertaining, great actors but not a home run.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 22, 2010

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

The best thing about Bowfinger is the way the script by Steve Martin is tooled to his own and Murphy's comic strengths.

Feb 2, 2009

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

This is enjoyable but thin, which is no doubt what was intended.

Feb 27, 2008

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Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

The film relies heavily on the chemistry Murphy and Martin have together, and the former’s uncanny ability to disappear into multiple roles blended well with the Hollywood shenanigans.

Jul 8, 2024

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Chuck Klosterman

Akron Beacon Journal

Bowfinger is a terrifically witty movie that skewers all the right targets. It's self-referential and geared toward movie buffs, but it's not so insular that you need an in-depth knowledge of the industry to get the jokes.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 26, 2023

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Steve Martin's tribute to shoestring filmmaking and big-screen dreams is a loving lampoon that gamely straddles the chasm between cynical con-artistry and benign innocence.

Aug 19, 2023

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wally r

An extremely funny, witty and clean movie proving that comedies don't have to be vulgar. A family favorite now for 25 years.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/24

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Rishi M

a very funny comedy must watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

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Diger 4

The movie was good funny action packed and loved the actors robert Downey jr also Eddie Murphy great see NOW

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/24/23

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Daniel M

Somehow I missed this one when it released and I was surprised how fun and original the story was. Great concept and the characters were great!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

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Josh D

Underrated film. Heavenly God!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

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Pam K

This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I was laughing so hard at the scene were Eddie Murphy's character is supposed to run across the 134 fwy I almost fell off the sofa. Great satire as well as to the non-morals of Hollywood.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/11/23

Full Review

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Frank Oz

Director

Steve Martin

Bobby Bowfinger

Eddie Murphy

Kit Ramsey

Heather Graham

Daisy

Christine Baranski

Carol

Jamie Kennedy

Dave

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - Buck the Wonder Slave

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - Gotcha Suckers!

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - A Go Picture

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - Spearchucker Says Hello!

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - High-Heel Wearing Dog

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - Daisy's Topless Scene

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Bowfinger: Official Clip - Chubby Rain Movie Premiere

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Synopsis

On the verge of bankruptcy and desperate for his big break, aspiring filmmaker Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) concocts a crazy plan to make his ultimate dream movie. Rallying a ragtag team that includes a starry-eyed ingenue (Heather Graham), a has-been diva (Christine Baranski) and a film studio gofer (Jamie Kennedy), he sets out to shoot a blockbuster featuring the biggest star in Hollywood, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) -- only without letting Ramsey know he's in the picture.

Director: Frank Oz
Producer: Brian Grazer
Screenwriter: Steve Martin
Distributor: United International Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], CIC-Taft Home Video, Filmes Lusomundo, Argentina Video Home
Production Co: Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $66.4M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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