History Film / LAStory

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: [=SanDeE*=]. Not Sandy, "Big S, small A, small N, big D, small E, big E and a star".

** Harris amuses himself by getting his friend to film him rollerskating through an art museum. He calls it performance art; she apparently calls it "wasting time".

* ExecutiveMeddling: In-universe, Harris' boss (Woody Harrelson), wants a "more wacky, less egghead" weathercaster. Keep in mind, Harris is already loopier than a roller coaster in his weather reports.
--> '''Boss''': You're doing some sort of intellectual thing.
--> '''Harris''': Intellectual? It may seem intellectual to you, because you were educated with with a banana and an inner tube! This is an intellectual-free zone!
--> '''Boss''': More wacky, less egghead.

--->'''[[Creator/ChevyChase Carlo]]:''' Is this part of the New Cruelty?
--->'''[[Creator/PatrickStewart M'aitre D]]:''' I'm afraid so.

* RomanticFalseLead: Two, [=SanDeE*=] , who is something of a rebound girl for Harris, who he splits up with fairly amicably at the end (especially since she freely admitted she was dating Harris to make her boyfriend jealous), and Roland, Sara's ex-husband, who's only real flaw is his arrogance, which he seems unaware of.

* ShutUpKiss: Twice in a row.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: The art critique [[InUniverse scene]]-see below. [[invoked]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotDidactic: The hilarious, rambling, erotic critique Harris gives about... a painting of a large, red rectangle.[[invoked]]

** Steve Martin is actually an [[RealitySubtext avid collector of modern art]] in real life.

''L.A. Story'' is a romantic comedy starring (and written by) Creator/SteveMartin. Harris K. Telemacher (Martin) is a weatherman in L.A. whose love life is assisted by a mysterious, magical talking freeway sign. The city of Los Angeles is a star as well, one of the themes of the movie being the often bizarre attributes of the city itself, from the weather to earthquakes to the "fake" citizenry. Creator/MariluHenner, Victoria Tennant and a pre-''Series/SexAndTheCity'' Creator/SarahJessicaParker play the love interests of Harris. The movie is peppered with humorous cameo appearances, from Creator/PatrickStewart's scene-stealing maître d'hôtel to Creator/RickMoranis' gravedigger. (And yes, that ''is'' Music/PaulaAbdul as the rollerskater.)

* WannabeLine:
** Harris has to go through The FourthReich Bank to get a reservation at the latest trendy restaurant.
** Meanwhile, Roland gets immediate reservations.

* BrassBalls: There's a great scene where Harris (Creator/SteveMartin) is walking on the beach with arrogant bastard Roland (Creator/RichardEGrant), and there's this metallic clanging noise. Harris asks what it was and Roland says [[LiteralMetaphor "It's a nuisance. It's my damn testicles."]]

''L.A. Story'' is a romantic comedy starring (and written by) Creator/SteveMartin. Harris K. Telemacher (Martin) is a weatherman in L.A. whose love life is assisted by a mysterious, magical talking freeway sign. The city of Los Angeles is a star as well, one of the themes of the movie being the often bizarre attributes of the city itself, from the weather to earthquakes to the "fake" citizenry. Marilu Henner, Victoria Tennant and a pre-''Series/SexAndTheCity'' Sarah Jessica Parker play the love interests of Harris. The movie is peppered with humorous cameo appearances, from Creator/PatrickStewart's scene-stealing maître d'hôtel to Creator/RickMoranis' gravedigger. (And yes, that ''is'' Music/PaulaAbdul as the rollerskater.)

* AmbiguouslyBi: Roland thinks of Pierce Brosnan after having sex with Sara.

* MistakenForQuake: {{Inverted}} in the cafe scene, which has the ground begin to shake about halfway into the meal. Sara, just in from the UK, worriedly asks what's going on and the others tell her it's just an earthquake.

* ShoutOut: To Shakespeare, and especially ''Hamlet'''s gravedigger scene.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: {{Inverted|Trope}}. Harris and his friends agree to meet at a trendy new restaurant whose name is pronounced "leed-YO", but when the scene shifts there, we see that it's actually spelled "L'Idiot", and that ''is'' the correct pronunciation in French.

* SocietyMarchesOn: In the late 80's, early 90's, highway shootings were a major issue in L.A.

* OnTheRebound: Both Harris and [=SanDeE*=] are dealing with a breakup and a separation. Sara calls Harris out on it, asking him why he didn't tell her he'd just broken up with someone.

** Subverted with [=SanDeE*=]. Although she comes off as this at first, and certainly makes a try at it; she doesn't really make any significant change to Harris's life. Eventually, the relationship is treated as just a bad rebound thing which temporarily got in the way of a real relationship with Sara.

-->'''Waiter:''' We got hot bread, milk-fed veal and new potatoes//
And a hundred different ways to cook a couple of tomatoes//
If the service is a problem 'cause the place is packed//

* RoadTripAcrossTheStreet