Bowfinger

1999
12
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

76K

YOUR RATING

Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger (1999)

Prince Akeem is set to return in 'Coming 2 America' on Prime Video, and it's only fitting that we royally declare the essential films you can stream now to experience the dynamic career of the one-and-only Eddie Murphy.

Play clip3:31

Watch The Essential Films of Eddie Murphy to Stream Now

3 Videos

99+ Photos

Satire Comedy

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.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.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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

76K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 6 nominations total

Videos3

Trailer 2:14

Bowfinger

Clip 3:31

The Essential Films of Eddie Murphy to Stream Now

Clip 3:31

The Essential Films of Eddie Murphy to Stream Now

Clip 3:10

Bowfinger: Steve Martin Gets Eddie Murphy To Run Across The Freeway

Photos174

+ 168

‘Snow White’ Stars Test Their Wits

Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and director Marc Webb take our Ultimate Disney Quiz.

Watch now

9:57

More like this

5.7

The Nutty Professor

7.1

The Jerk

6.8

Life

7.4

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

6.6

Roxanne

5.0

Holy Man

6.7

L.A. Story

6.4

The Man with Two Brains

6.0

5.6

5.4

6.5

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Eddie Murphy ad-libbed the line "You're doing great! You're going to be a star." in the scene where Daisy is topless.

Goofs
When reviewing a script with his agent at the beginning of the movie, Kit says that the letter K appears 1,456 times in the script, which is perfectly divisible by 3, meaning that KKK appears 486 times. 1,456 is not exactly divisible by 3. 1,458, however, is, and gives the stated division result of 486. This could be an intentional error to jokingly suggest that Kit has poor math skills.

Quotes
Kit: White boys always get the Oscar. It's a known fact. Did I ever get a nomination? No! You know why? Cause I hadn't played any of them slave roles, and get my ass whipped. That's how you get the nomination. A black dude who plays a slave that gets his ass whipped gets the nomination, a white guy who plays an idiot gets the Oscar. That's what I need, I need to play a retarded slave, then I'll get the Oscar.

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

Alternate versions
The "Deleted Scenes" on the Blu-ray/DVD releases contain:
A much longer version of the "this script, this masterpiece" scene, in which 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 advent-grade dry-cleaning place you'll ever see, explaining better the "Kit's dry cleaning" material later on.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Sixth Sense/Mystery Men/The Thomas Crown Affair/Bowfinger/Dick (1999)

Soundtracks
There Is Always One More Time
Written by Kenneth W. Hirsh, Doc Pomus
Performed by Johnny Adams
Courtesy of Rounder Records
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User reviews413

Featured review

8/10

A Winning Combination

After seeing how good the combination of director Frank Oz and actor Steve Martin was in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," I wasn't surprised that the two would make "Bowfinger" interesting, too. It's not the caliber of "Scoundrels," but it's still fun to watch.

Eddie Murphy, as usual, is responsible for a lot of laughs as he plays two characters: this paranoid New Age-type follower and a very nerdy stand-in actor. In both roles, he's effective. Terrence Stamp, meanwhile, does his normal intense job of acting as the leader of a far-out "mind group" that one of Murphy's characters belongs. Heather Graham provides the sex appeal. Few women have made the transition from wholesome country girl to sleazeball in one movie as Graham does here. It's shocking but laughable at the same time, which pretty much describes this odd film. Nice to see Steve Martin back in form, too.