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Steve Martin 2.0 Is Awfully Goddamn Prolific for an Old Man

Bring Back the Beta Version! / Dustin Rowles

Trade News | October 15, 2008 | Comments (14)

It’s pretty well known now that Steve Martin 1.0 died, tragically, after the filming of L.A. Story. In a misguided Stephen King effort to revive him, we got Steve Martin 2.0, whose first film was Father of the Bride. 2.0 hasn’t been completely awful, though. Father of the Bride is sweet and gooey, Shopgirl was pretty good, and The Spanish Prisoner was entertaining. In fact, it may have been Bringing Down the House that gave us Martin 2.5, one of the more wretched comedians in Hollywood, a step or two above Tim Allen.

In Martin’s next project, after The Pink Panther 2 and another Adam Shankman film (oy vey!), he is reteaming with Nancy Meyers, who introduced the world to Martin 2.0 in Father of the Bride, a film that still, inexplicably, makes me misty-eyed (which is not to suggest it’s any damn good, because it’s not). The movie is an untitled romantic comedy, and in it, Martin and Alec Baldwin will be competing for the affections of Meryl Streep.

OK. OK. Nancy Meyers isn’t dreadful. No. Strike that. She gave us What Women Want and The Holiday and should therefore be sent to cinematic hell. But Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, and Steve Martin, even version 2.5? That’s not a terrible cast. It’s promising, even. But the premise? Come on: Isn’t that the same premise that Meyers’ Something’s Gotta Give gave us, only these actors are all the same age?

Damnit. I miss The Jerk.


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Comments

Steve Martin 1.0 still lives on in his short stories and novellas. I've pimped it here before, but if you love LA Story, do yourself a favor and seek out the book-on-tape version of his novella The Pleasure of My Company, read by (of course) Steve Martin. I listened to it twice in a row, it was that charming and hilarious. I want to believe we are only subjected to Steve 2.5 so he can bankroll his lovely writing work... and being that I am a corporate whore to support my creative work as well, I can't really fault him for that.

Justification! I'm doing it right.

Posted by: Tammy at October 15, 2008 11:08 AM

Today I met theeee boy I'm gonna marryyyyyyy

Sorry; you said "Father of the Bride" and that song just popped up.

Posted by: Sofía at October 15, 2008 11:09 AM

But HTML Tags? I'm doing them wrong.

Posted by: Tammy at October 15, 2008 11:09 AM

I think I just heard that Steve Martin may have gotten syphilis from Marlene McCormick back in the day so perhaps syphilitic madness may be the cause of Steve Martin 2.0 and 2.5 .

Posted by: becks at October 15, 2008 11:20 AM

Tammy is right, it's all still there, just in literary form now.

Posted by: twig at October 15, 2008 11:23 AM

Steve 1.0 made a brief reappearance in Bowfinger, don't forget.

"Gotcha, suckas!"

Posted by: Abe Froman at October 15, 2008 11:43 AM

He was supposedly good in Baby Momma too? I think he's more of a supporting player now. Or maybe just good with Tina Fey, if his SNL appearance is any indication.
And, Abe it's good to see the Sausage King of Chicago is in our midst.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at October 15, 2008 12:39 PM

Given Baldwin's recent comedic history, isn't it possible he'll revive Steve 1.75? I do like the idea of this cast.

Posted by: Cindy at October 15, 2008 1:26 PM

I actually thought he was pretty good in Sgt. Bilko as well. Not necessarily a great movie built around him (although it has its moments), but it's basically the real Steve Martin. Also Phil Hartman was terrific in it because he was Phil Hartman :_(

Posted by: Eep at October 15, 2008 1:26 PM

What in the name of Jeebus happened after LA Story, anyway? Is there a story there? Frustration over the lack of popular reception to his magnum opus? Alphan mind control waves? Seriously, I'm curious.

Also, though it was a seriously flawed film, I caught a little of the Old Steve's spirit in Mixed Nuts. Wasn't that after LA Story?

Besides, Liev Schreiber was hilarious in it. "Arnold... Arnold... Arnold..."

Posted by: Landon at October 15, 2008 2:45 PM

Shit... Shinola.

Posted by: Lucas at October 15, 2008 6:55 PM

Confession: I have a serious weakness for Nancy Meyers movies. The characters and stories may be ridiculous, but dammit her movies look pretty.

And, I think we got a break from 2.0 in Shopgirl.

Posted by: LB at October 15, 2008 7:56 PM

No matter the quality of the film, Father of the Bride will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the 1st movie i ever saw at the cinema. Meanwhile, he gets a special pass for co-starring with Hilary Duff, not once but twice!

Posted by: Returnofthesmith at October 16, 2008 6:44 AM

Having seen and hated Something's Gotta Give, I reject the notion that just because you get good, experienced actors together in a romantic comedy, you will get a good film. And Alec Baldwin admitted on his Inside the Actors Studio that he sometimes does films for the money without reading the scripts. This sounds like a "in it for the cash" film.

Posted by: Audiosuede at October 16, 2008 10:59 AM