Roxanne (released on June 19, 1987) is a luminous romantic comedy that proved Steve Martin was as much a gifted screenwriter and sophisticated leading man as he was a wild and crazy guy. Directed by Fred Schepisi, the film is a modern-day retelling of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, transposed from 17th-century France to a picturesque, sun-dappled fire station in the Pacific Northwest.
By trading swords for fire hoses and period costumes for small-town charm, Martin created a film that is simultaneously a slapstick triumph, a poetic romance, and a profound meditation on the insecurities that hide behind our physical exteriors.
C.D. Bales (Martin) is the charismatic, agile, and beloved fire chief of a sleepy Washington ski town. He is a man of immense intellect and wit, but he is defined by one glaring physical feature: an impossibly large nose.
Despite his self-confidence, C.D. believes his appearance makes him unworthy of true love.
His world is turned upside down by the arrival of Roxanne Kowalski (Daryl Hannah), a beautiful astronomer searching for a newly discovered comet. C.D. falls instantly in love with her, but his insecurities keep him from expressing his feelings.
The situation becomes a comedic tragedy of errors when Roxanne becomes smitten with Chris (Rick Rossovich), a handsome but dim-witted new recruit at the fire station.
Chris is terrified of speaking to women, particularly one as intelligent as Roxanne.
Seizing the opportunity to express his soul, C.D. agrees to ghostwrite letters and feed lines to Chris, essentially wooing Roxanne through the body of another man.
The town’s eccentric residents, including C.D.’s loyal friend Dixie (Shelley Duvall), the bumbling Chuck (John Kapelos), and the hilariously incompetent Mayor Deebs (Fred Willard), provide a colorful backdrop to the unfolding deception.
As the “comet” approaches, the charade grows increasingly difficult to maintain, leading to a rooftop confrontation where C.D. must finally find the courage to let Roxanne see the man behind the prose.
Michael J. Pollard, Matt Lattanzi, Kevin Nealon and Damon Wayans round out the supporting cast.
Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah in Roxanne (Photo/Columbia Pictures)
Reception for Roxanne
Roxanne grossed $4.6 million on its opening weekend, finishing fifth at the box office. The top grossing film of the week was The Witches of Eastwick, which earned $8.3 million on its second weekend.
The film would gross $40.1 million in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave Roxanne three and a half out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Roxanne‘s legacy is its enduring reputation as one of the most perfect romantic comedies ever filmed, representing a high-water mark for 1980s cinema.
It is remembered for Martin’s iconic “twenty insults” scene, a masterclass in comedic timing and linguistic dexterity that remains one of the most celebrated monologues in movie history.
The film is celebrated for its warm, humanist spirit and for Hannah’s performance, which gave the titular character an agency and intelligence often missing from the “love interest” roles of the era.
Roxanne is viewed as a definitive work in Martin’s career, praised for its heart, its timeless wit, and its beautiful reminder that eloquence and soul will always outshine a perfect profile.
