The Lonely Guy

Steve Martin Month continues as this week we're heading down to the fern store and haggling over haircuts with 1984's The Lonely Guy, directed by Arthur Hiller, and starring Steve Martin, Charles Grodin, Judith Ivey, Steve Lawrence and Robyn Douglas -- a much wackier movie than last week's entry, though one that can't quite tonally balance all of its ambitions, losing its comedic edge to a rather rote romance. Still, the movie is quite funny, with the majority of its laughs belonging to Grodin, who is right at home mining comedy gold out of the absolute worst person to talk to at a party. Can Martin's charm and Grodin's misanthropy lift this movie above its rom-com trappings? We watched it to find out. Other works discussed on this episode include some bonus Martin movies like L.A. Story, Baby Mama, Traitor and The Man With Two Brains, as well as what might be a career-best turn from Grodin in The Great Muppet Caper. We also talk a little video games, as J Mo wades into Star Ocean: First Departure R, while Hayley has become ensnared in the music of one Taylor Swift. If you'd like to watch this week's episode before listening, good luck! Just like last week this one is not readily available on streaming in Canada. We'll be back next week with another Steve Martin movie, though his role as Insolent Waiter might be considered more of a cameo, as we cross off a long-standing unseen from J Mo's collection: 1979's The Muppet Movie, currently streaming on Disney+.