I have to admit that this was a nice and sweet version of Martin's interpretation of Cyrano de Bergerac. It was nice to see a little comedy into the story. I know of the story, but have seen none of the movies. So, this is pretty much as close as I will get to the story even though my mom has the old version of Cyrano de Bergerac, it doesn't look that entertaining.

Steve plays Charlie, a kind and funny fireman with one little... well... actually huge thing on his face, a very long and big nose. But he ends up meeting Roxanne, a very beautiful woman who is a rocket scientist and just wants be romanced, she meets another man, Chris, very handsome, but doesn't exactly have a way with words. Charlie has a huge crush on Roxanne, but she's attracted to Chris, Chris also has a thing for Roxanne, so through the hardest times, Chralie helps Chris try to woe Roxanne with his words going through Chris's mouth.

It's a very sweet and romantic movie with some good little laughs here and there. I think this is an under rated Steve Martin movie that I think everyone could give a chance too. Because, let's face it, we all have that little imperfection that can always be seen as unique and beautiful in the eyes of other's.

7/10

Steve Martin is Charlie, a fire chief in a small Washington State city where he is as legendary as Cyrano de Bergerac, the French hero whom he emulates in this sweet comedy that was a major crowd pleaser in its day and hopefully will one day be considered a classic. He is an easy-going fellow, well liked by the firemen under his command, yet he has one feature strangers will find hard to avoid staring at: his enormous schnoz. Yes, like Durante, W.C. and Streisand, Charlie is famous for his nose. He can even drink out of it, uses it as a stand for his little bird friends and can even peck obnoxious bullies in the eye with it if he gets too agitated by their harassment. When first seen, he takes on two golfers with his tennis racket, dancing around as them if he was Charlie Chaplin on roller skates.

The gorgeous Darryl Hannah gets rid of her mermaid fins to play the beautiful new girl in town, a student of the stars who is not only a looker but personable and intelligent. The sweet but dumb Rick Rossovich is Chris, a brawny new fireman in Martin's brigade who falls head over heels for her but can't seem to get an intelligent word to come out of his mouth. This is where Martin comes in, as poetic as he is temperamental of his head's middle appendage, and in the process, he falls in love with her too, but his love is not based upon lust; It is based upon knowing exactly what to say to her to make her feel special, and in the process of communicating to her for Rossovich, he makes Hannah fall in love with the idea, if not the man, whom she had animal attraction to and pretty much nothing else.

This movie is practically picture perfect, taking what in other hands would come off as idiotic humor and making it seem as graceful as the ballet. Martin makes this clear in the seemingly infantile opening as he takes on the two idiot golf players, turns it onto a bully in a bar (20 big nose jokes to put the man to shame) and eventually proves that it isn't the physical that matters but what's in the heart and what that heart will share with the heart it is meant to be aligned with. One of the best romantic comedies of the 1980's, this was Martin's most praised performance, and many critics yelped about him not getting an Oscar Nomination when he clearly deserved it. Yet, other earlier films from his resume seem to be more remembered today, and as entertaining as they are, they don't hold a candle to this.

Who else emulated feminine beauty in the 1980's more than the gorgeous Darryl Hannah who made film history as a mermaid and allowed herself to become dowdy for "Steel Magnolias" simply to get the chance to play a real character. She is beautiful without being unapproachable, an earthly goddess one could look at and fall in love with in a sisterly way. Shelley Duvall takes on one of her least weirdo characters here, as far from Popeye's Olive Oyl as possible. She is the voice of wisdom here for both Martin and Hannah and the transition for her is a nice change of pace.

I also want to praise the original music score by Bruce Smeaton, a mostly saxophone score back when that was the most popular instrument for movie themes. (Think also "Crimes of the Heart"). Yet, in spite of the many scores which focused mainly on the Sax, this one stands out, and will ring in your ears as so romantically appropriate for this film for which many bags of popcorn were crunched and munched on during 1987. Beautifully directed, written and filmed, "Roxanne" is a throwback to the old romantic comedies of the 30's and 40's which are seldom made today, and rarely as great.

Roxanne is a modern day adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac written by and starring Steve Martin.

This was a time where Martin was transitioning from outrageous or offbeat comedies like The Jerk of The Man with Two Brain. To something more mainstream but still kept those off kilter moments.

The Three Amigos was released a year earlier to mixed reviews.

Of course Martin would eventually embrace mainstream comedies such as the saccharine and rather woeful Parent of the Bride movies before pulling back a little.

Martin is CD Bates, the universally popular fire chief in a small town that has an incompetent volunteer fire crew.

Bates is sensitive about his large hooter and gets angry when people poke fun at it or just dismiss them with even better wisecracks.

Things take a turn when Roxanne (Daryl Hannah) an astronomy research student arrives and gets locked out of her house while being naked.

Bates falls for her. So does Chris McConnell (Rick Rossovich) the fireman called in to train the locals. Chris is a handsome but dim witted jock.

Bates is witty, intelligent, charismatic and athletic. He knows people like Roxanne cannot see past the nose

Chris has the looks but cannot express the words to attracts Roxanne. He turns to Bates who writes poetic letters to woo Roxanne for Chris.

It really is a case of can Bates declare his feelings for Roxanne.

Martin has made a fanciful adaptation. This was the first time I saw the Cyrano de Bergerac story.

There is a sense of playfulness and quirky humour in this romantic comedy. All three main characters are nice people. Chris deserves a nice girl but Roxanne is not for him.

It's another film where Hannah is wandering around naked which seemed to be de rigueur for her in family friendly films back in the 80s.