What the Kids Were Watching

"L.A. Story" and "Roxanne": Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups

January 08, 2020 Sarah A. Ruiz and Rafael A. Ruiz Season 1 Episode 3
What the Kids Were Watching
"L.A. Story" and "Roxanne": Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups
Show Notes

Steve Martin's delightful comedies "L.A. Story" (1991) and "Roxanne" (1987) have more in common than you may think. Both are based on classic works of literature: "Roxanne" is a sweet retelling of "Cyrano de Bergerac," while Raf insists "L.A. Story" loosely retells "Hamlet" and "The Tempest." Both movies can be seen as fairy tales for adults, respectively showcasing a whimsical and magic-drenched side of Los Angeles and the sheltered charm of the imagined mountain town Nelson. They paint adult life as a mixture of bizarre trends, Shakespeare quotes, and good old slapstick fun. But are these fairy tales for women or for men? And decades later, do these noses by any other name still smell as sweet? 

In the third episode of What the Kids Were Watching, the hosts break down why these Martin films initially won them over, why Sarah kept rewatching them (especially "L.A. Story") over the years, and whether or not they're worth a revisit...or a twist of lemon.