L.A. Story

Harris K. Telemacher is a charming, self-absorbed L.A. weatherman whose life is full of glossy local fame and romantic confusion. After a chance encounter with Sara McDowel, an English features writer who views Los Angeles with skeptical curiosity, he becomes determined to win her heart. When a freeway billboard starts talking to him and dispensing cryptic guidance, Harris begins to question his priorities and the city's odd logic. The film mixes surreal humor with romance as Harris juggles dating, career vanity, and the eccentric characters of early 1990s Los Angeles, while his eccentric social circle and on-air persona add complications, while surreal set-pieces lampoon weather, real estate, and celebrity culture obsessions.

Mick Jackson directed the 1991 romantic comedy, which was created, written by, and starred Steve Martin. The ensemble cast also features Victoria Tennant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Richard E. Grant, Marilu Henner, and other familiar faces from early 90s cinema.

The film did modest business on release, not a major box office hit, but it earned enough attention to recoup and expanded its reach later on home video, cable broadcasts, and through an appreciative cult audience worldwide.

Its satire of Los Angeles culture, anchored by a talking freeway billboard and the manic character SanDeE, lodged in viewers' memories. The film's oddball moments and observational jokes about fashion, traffic, and urban pretensions have been echoed and referenced in later comedies and pop culture commentary since release.

Critics gave mixed to warm reviews, and audience scores reflect that middle ground, with a vote average around 6.5 out of 10. Many praised Steve Martin's offbeat script and comic persona, while others felt the tone shifted unevenly between satire and straight romance, making it an acquired taste over time.