Bowfinger
A broke Hollywood striver secretly films a paranoid action star to turn an impossible alien-invasion movie into his big break.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- breezy
- lazy sunday
- comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found it a witty, good-hearted Hollywood farce whose sustained jokes and performances make its filmmaking satire consistently entertaining.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bobby's low-budget production, studio negotiations, celebrity manipulation, and obsession with distribution all turn Hollywood's machinery into the central comic subject.
Bobby lies to the studio, the actors, and Kit Ramsey while secretly filming Kit, with each workaround creating new complications.
Viewers understand that Kit is being covertly recorded and manipulated for Bobby's film while Kit interprets the staged circumstances through his paranoia about alien invasion.
Bobby has almost no money, no completed production history, and a dubious plan, yet his lifelong commitment keeps the filmmaking project moving.
Films like Bowfinger, and why
The Producers
shared witty show-business satire, farcical production schemes, and an underdog creator pursuing an impossible project
Get Shorty
shared Hollywood setting, comic deception, celebrity absurdity, and ensemble farce
The Player
shared self-aware entertainment-industry comedy, eccentric personalities, and escalating backstage chaos
Movie Details
- Director
- Frank Oz
- Release Date
- 1999-08-12
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (977)
Cast
- Steve Martin
- Eddie Murphy
- Heather Graham
- Christine Baranski
- Jamie Kennedy
- Barry Newman
- Adam Alexi-Malle
- Kohl Sudduth
- Terence Stamp
- Robert Downey Jr.
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bowfinger about?
- A broke Hollywood striver secretly films a paranoid action star to turn an impossible alien-invasion movie into his big break.
- What is Bowfinger like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bowfinger as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Bowfinger violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Bowfinger.
- What did critics think of Bowfinger?
- Critics broadly found it a witty, good-hearted Hollywood farce whose sustained jokes and performances make its filmmaking satire consistently entertaining.
- Which films are like Bowfinger?
- Films with a similar feel include The Producers, Get Shorty, and The Player.
- How long is Bowfinger?
- Bowfinger runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bowfinger?
- In United States, Bowfinger is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
