Roxanne, starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah in the lead was released in 1987. This comedy is adapted from the verse play Cyrano de Bergerac by the French Author Edmond Rostand. The screen play was written by Steve Martin and is directed by Fred Shepisi.
Napoleon had once famously remarked that he preferred men with long noses, but CD Bales the Fire chief of Pacific North west would beg to differ. Steve Martin stars as Bales, the acrobatic do gooder fire chief who has a humongous nose. This fleshy accessory on his face makes his life miserable and his love life bitter. Bales is very sensitive about his nose matters and people who know him never mention this twitchy subject. The object of his affection is Roxanne, an astronomer, beautiful as a star she watches. Roxanne is in love with Chris, a dim witted fireman whom Bales cannot stand.
But the gallant Bales does not come in between Roxanne's love and suppresses his feelings. His only outlet being the poems he writes which he allows Chris to submit before his lady love as his own. Another person in this loop is Dixie, Bale's sister who keeps this secret. Life moves on with Roxanne watching comets, and Bale's trying to move on with his life with another woman.
Roxanne soon finds herself dumped by Chris, who falls for another woman in another town. He leaves town after writing her a long letter. Dixie tells her the truth about the poems and a devastated Roxanne confronts Bales. She accuses him of leading her on with a doomed relationship with an incompatible guy. A cornered Bales hits back telling Roxanne, that her quest for a perfect handsome guy was the root cause for her condition. As they argue and part but somewhere a spark is lit. In the end they discover the true love for each other and are soon engaged. Roxanne tells her besotted lover that his long nose gives him character and now would consider a flat nose too bland and boring. As the nosy angst ends for C.D. Bales, curtain draws on this happy ending.
Steve Martin was widely appreciated for his role as CD Bales and this won him a Golden Globe nomination for the Best Actor. He also won the National Society of Film Critics Award, Writers Guild of America Award and Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Actor. This delightful romantic comedy also finds its place among Bravo's “100 funniest movies of the century”. Steve Martin who essays the role of CD Bales pays homage to the original by taking the name of Cyreno de Bergerac (CD) and considered this as a watershed movie of his career.
This movie has many slapstick comedy moments which tickles your funny bone. Just do not go looking for high brow satire for you will be sorely disappointed. Enjoy the show and see the funny nosy man win his love and I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
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