Martin has vast body of work to stream along with documentary
A revealing documentary about comedian Steve Martin, directed by Oscar winner Morgan Neville, is now streaming on Apple TV+. “Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces,” is a truly unique project, the two halves distinctly different but fitting together to create an illuminating portrait of Martin and his relationship to fame and creativity.
The first half, “Then,” tracks Martin’s early life, his buddy comedy career and stand-up shows, and his meteoric rise to fame in the 1970s. The second half, “Now,” follows Martin in the present day, co-starring on the Hulu hit series “Only Murders in the Building” with his longtime friend and collaborator Martin Short, living a private life with his wife and young daughter.
But while “Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces,” is an absorbing watch, it will likely make you want to revisit his filmography, especially the early titles from the late 1970s and ’80s on which the documentary focuses. So here’s a little primer of where to watch some of Martin’s films as an accompaniment to the documentary.
His breakout role was in “The Jerk” (1979), which he wrote and Carl Reiner directed. Martin stars as a simple country boy who heads off for life in the big city. The film was a massive hit and cemented Martin as a star. Stream it on Showtime or rent it elsewhere. In 1982, Martin and Reiner reunited for the noir parody “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,” also available to rent on digital platforms.
In addition, the documentary focuses on the 1981 flop “Pennies from Heaven,” a 1930s-style movie musical directed by Herbert Ross and co-starring Bernadette Peters and Christopher Walken. Martin in a sincere mode was not warmly received by critics and audiences, and the documentary explores how that failure was a deep wound for Martin. A fascinating object in his career history, rent “Pennies from Heaven” on all digital platforms.
Of course, there’s the iconic 1986 comedy “Three Amigos!” that Martin wrote with Lorne Michaels and Randy Newman. The film was directed by John Landis and co-starred Short and Chevy Chase. Stream it on AMC+ or the Roku Channel, or rent it elsewhere.
Martin also wrote and starred in a couple of beloved romantic comedies, “Roxanne,” a 1987 Cyrano de Bergerac riff, and “L.A. Story,” the 1991 rom-com co-starring Victoria Tennant (Martin’s first wife), Marilu Henner and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Both are available to rent on all digital platforms.
But he also starred as a beloved movie dad in 1989’s “Parenthood,” directed by Ron Howard, heading up
an all-star ensemble cast that included Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix. Stream it on
Netflix.
Martin starred in the 1991 film “Father of the Bride” opposite Diane Keaton and Kimberly Williams-Paisley (plus Short and Kieran Culkin).
Stream it on Disney+ or rent it elsewhere.
There are so many more fantastic Martin movies, but the documentary will inspire you to revisit these favorites in his career.