Steve Martin is Cyrano, known here as C.D. Bales, fire chief in Nelson, Washington. On a magical summer night, he meets Roxanne (Daryl Hannah), an astronomer and summer vistior to Nelson, who has accidentally locked herself out of her house in the nude. C.D. gallantly aids and charms her, but he believes she cannot fall in love with him because of his banana-sized proboscis. Meanwhile, Chris (Rick Rossovich), a hunk with a negative IQ, comes into town. C.D. befriends him, but is shocked to learn that Roxanne has fallen in love with the dullard from afar. C.D. reluctantly helps Chris, who is singularly lacking in couth, to charm Roxanne with poetry, which C.D. has in abundance.
Most of the great scenes of the play are present: Cyrano providing insults for himself, the balcony scene, even a fencing scene of sorts. The fireman serve as surrogates for the musketeers of the play, wisecracks as surrogates for poetry, with varying degrees of success. The jokes do seem kind of raucous and American for such delicate source material, but they are often as layered as a Robert Altman movie: this is no typical small-brained Hollywood product.
The biggest disappointment is the end of the film. The play's finale is a thing of incredible poignance. Only the most emotionless viewer can fail to be moved by Cyrano's death. Steve Martin cannot die, of course, and instead of his plot being revealed with delicacy, it is done so with a measure of vulgarity. Still, what else could be done? At least, it satisfies
Steve Martin is fabulous as C.D. He can be poetic without sounding sappy. He can be hilarious and self-effacing as a great Cyrano should be. He is physically limber like very few other actors (who else could play the role: Tom Hanks, perhaps?) And even when he smiles, you can still see his heart break (as when Roxanne tells him she loves Chris). That he wasn't Oscar nominated for this film is a crime. Daryl Hannah has perhaps the best role of her career as Roxanne. She plays an intelligent woman who makes foolish choices, a figure all-too-common in real life, and makes her extraordinarily appealing. Rossovich plays a dumb boob here as in many other films: sometimes typecasting does work. A motley collection of character actors adds a piquant flavor.
For the real Cyrano, go to the play, or the Gerard Depardieu film. For a nice American version that plays as if it were an eternal summer night (ah, youth), Roxanne is more than satisfactory.
Three and a half stars
Copyright 1997 by Dale G. Abersold
