Roxanne

Roxanne has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 703 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Steve Martin leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Roxanne is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Roxanne does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. In this modern take on Edmond Rostand's classic play "Cyrano de Bergerac," C. D. Bales is the witty, intelligent, and brave fire chief of a small Pacific Northwest town who, due to the size of his enormous nose, declines to pursue the girl of his dreams, lovely Roxanne Kowalski. Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1987. The timing in Roxanne is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Roxanne is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Steve Martin anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.