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California Today
The water-wars thriller “Chinatown” was recommended most by readers.
This week, I finally watched the 1991 movie “L.A. Story,” a fanciful romantic comedy that more than anything else is a loving sendup of Los Angeles.
The movie, written by and starring Steve Martin, is full of gags about traffic, earthquakes, hip restaurants, ever-temperate weather and happy people who aren’t actually all that happy. Martin, who grew up in Orange County, once described making the film as “like teasing your best friend.”
“You have to know them pretty well and like them, in order to be able to do it,” he told The New York Times in 1991.
When Martin’s character suggests to his love interest — played by Victoria Tennant, who was married to Martin at the time — that he give her a cultural tour of the city, she replies: “That’s the first 15 minutes. Then what?"
“L.A. Story” felt familiar to me not just because of the shooting locations — the opening sequence has a great scene at Echo Park Lake — but also because it channeled the voice of someone who knows Los Angeles.
It ranked among the movies most suggested by readers for our new California film list, a collection that I’m hoping will both entertain you and help you learn about the state. I’ll keep adding to the list, so feel free to email me at CAtoday@nytimes.com with your choices and why you think they deserve to be included.
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