The 15 Best Steve Martin Movies, Ranked

Shortly after their reign on the Weekend Update desk, "Saturday Night Live" alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-starred in "Baby Mama," a friendship comedy about the complications of motherhood and surrogacy. Fey's Kate is a high-achieving single woman who works at a plant-based health foods company. Her life is seemingly perfect, except she wants a child and has been unable to conceive. When she decides to use a surrogate, she meets Poehler's Angie, who agrees to be her surrogate for a fee. While Kate is buttoned-up, Angie is the polar opposite in virtually every way. But as the two get to know each other, Angie realizes there is more to surrogacy than the money, complicating matters considerably since she lied about her pregnancy. 

Martin has a smaller role as Kate's hippie granola boss, Barry. Rocking a ponytail, Martin goes for the broad humor here. He creates a fully-realized character with minimal screen time that is still achingly funny. Though a smaller role, "Baby Mama" is still worth a watch for Martin fans — especially those curious to see his work within the larger SNL extended universe.

Easily one of Martin's most famous comedies, 1986's "Three Amigos!" is another example of the comedian's ability to blend silly humor and Hollywood satire. The film follows Lucky Day (Martin), Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase), and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) — three silent film stars who play bandit fighters. In a ridiculous case of mistaken identity, the Three Amigos are called to a remote Mexican village to face off against the local outlaw, El Guapo (Alfonso Arau). Of course, the movie stars have no idea that the fight is real. When reality comes crashing down, they disagree over whether to flee and save themselves or use what little knowledge they have to stay and help the locals. 

Co-written with Lorne Michaels and Randy Newman, "Three Amigos!" feels like an unofficial "Saturday Night Live" movie. Though slightly less heartfelt and intelligent than Martin's better standalone scripts like "Roxanne" and "Bowfinger," "Three Amigos!" is one of the funniest films he ever made. However, it's also a time capsule of the chemistry he shared with fellow comedic legends Short and Chase. It's a rare ensemble comedy for Martin and an example of how he can sit back and play the straight man with other comedians to brilliant effect.

Nancy Meyers' messy but beloved romantic comedy follows Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin), a divorced couple who are amicably enough to co-parent their children but lead separate lives. Jane owns a successful bakery, while Jake married a younger woman. However, when the family reconnects to celebrate one of their kids' graduation, they unexpectedly have a secret affair. Martin stars as Adam, Jane's architect, who is remodeling her home. Adam is the grounded romantic alternative to Baldwin's hypermasculine Jake.

The film has a classic romantic comedy formula — Adam is good for Jane while Jake isn't. Of course, the Adam role is one that typically loses. In one of his more sincere performances, Martin is charming, funny, winsome, and vulnerable. He makes a compelling love interest who easily holds his own opposite against Streep. "It's Complicated" has some strange parts and cringe jokes, but Martin provides a grounding presence. Unsurprisingly, he also shares one of the film's funniest scenes with Streep: Adam and Jane get high at a party, a sequence that showcases why his character is more than a rom-com archetype.

Besides his bawdier portrayals, Martin was a generation's film dad in several iconic roles. In comparison to his later, more famous parts in 1991's "Father of the Bride" and 2003's "Cheaper by the Dozen," 1989's "Parenthood" is a quieter, intergenerational family dramedy. Directed by Ron Howard, the film explores the lives of three siblings, their children, and their father as they try their best to be a loving and functional family. Martin's Gil is a lovable but neurotic father of three with his wife, Karen (Mary Steenburgen).

Gil and Karen grapple with their oldest child's anxieties and learning difficulties, an inherited issue from Gil's childhood. Meanwhile, Gil's older sister, Helen (Dianne Wiest), is a single mother of a rebellious teenager. His younger sister's husband, Nathan (Rick Moranis), becomes more focused on their toddler child's academic goals than his marriage. Though each family has its difficulties, they help each other. After a string of silly roles in the '80s, "Parenthood" signaled Martin's ability to tackle more serious subject matter in films. The film highlights his overall aging maturity in his work, evident in his Golden Globe nomination for the role.

Another iconic film in Martin's roster, 1988's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," is a stylish and funny movie. Working with his frequent collaborator, director Frank Oz, Martin stars as Freddy, a smarmy con artist who makes his way to the French Riviera for his latest grift. There, he crosses paths with Lawrence (Michael Caine), another con man who, unlike sloppy showboat Freddy, is scrupulous and suave. The two strike up a reluctant partnership when they meet the perfect mark, Janet (Glenne Headley), a young American heiress.

Lawrence and Freddy set up an elaborate cat-and-mouse game behind Janet's back: Freddy pretends to be sick and someone with learning disabilities, while Lawrence poses as a fancy doctor who promises to cure him. As with any good con movie, there are plenty of twists throughout the film while Freddy and Lawrence compete for the cash and the French Riviera as their primary grift zone. Martin and Caine have great chemistry and make genius comedic partners. Freddy is a frustrating character, positioned as a bumbling fool to Caine's clever mentor thief. Yet Martin manages to lend Freddy empathy, even at his scummiest moments.

Much of Martin's work has been in direct conversation with Hollywood. But "Bowfinger" is one of his more direct satirical takes on the industry. Reuniting with director Frank Oz, Martin's wickedly smart screenplay centers on struggling producer Bowfinger (a greasy, ponytailed Martin). Bowfinger is a ruthlessly ingenious independent filmmaker who is determined to make a movie by any means necessary — despite his lack of experience or budget. Of course, he fails to secure top movie star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy), but that doesn't stop him from including Kit in the movie. 

The ensuing plot is an elaborate series of hijinks as Bowfinger and his cast and crew secretly shoot his alien science fiction movie around Kit's day-to-day life. Kit has no clue what's happening and becomes more paranoid as the film continues. "Bowfinger" is a bit of a cult classic, as it uniquely melds Martin's goofy comedic style with his clever sensibility. Martin unites an all-star cast, including a witty and hilarious Heather Graham and perfectly-cast Murphy. In a film full of stars, everyone has their moment to shine. Martin is unafraid to let his co-stars be funny, creating a highly re-watchable chemistry between Martin and Murphy.

In his first solo screenplay credit, Martin retells the classic story of "Cyrano de Bergerac." In 1987's "Roxanne," Charlie is a fire chief in a small resort town with a comically large nose. Charlie is kind, heroic, smart, and funny, but chronically single — which he chalks up to his nose. He meets the beautiful rocket scientist Roxanne (Daryl Hannah) when she locks herself out of her house, and the two become friends. But Roxanne is more interested in Chris (Rick Rossovich), Charlie's newest firefighter. While Chris is conventionally attractive, he's less than eloquent and unable to woo Roxanne. 

Those familiar with "Cyrano" and its many iterations can guess what's next. Charlie speaks on Chris's behalf and brings him closer to Roxanne. But when Roxanne figures out who she's fallen in love with, conflict and comedic turns ensue. Charlie is a strong performance from Martin, as the character is vulnerable and self-conscious yet never self-pitying. The film is also a testament to Martin's storytelling ability as a writer and performer, earning him a Golden Globe nomination for his performance and a Writers Guild Association nomination for his script.

"The Jerk" was Martin's debut feature screenplay and breakout starring role. Co-written by Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias and directed by Carl Reiner, "The Jerk" follows Navin Johnson (Martin, at his absolute silliest). Navin is a gullible and somewhat unintelligent man who leaves home on a journey to find himself. While the basic premise doesn't age super well under modern standards — Navin was adopted by a Black family and believes he was "born a poor Black child in the south" — "The Jerk" exemplifies what made Martin a star.

Navin is an impossibly naive man, making nearly every frame of the film filled with humor and jokes. Notably, the film's most famous sequence best shows this: Navin unknowingly outruns a hitman out to kill him. After the hitman shoots cans of oil near him, Navin frantically runs around screaming about the cans — not realizing he's the target. Punctuated by slapstick physical humor and well-timed comedic delivery, "The Jerk" is the kind of dumb comedy that would foretell a generation of similar brilliant-stupid characters like Pee-Wee Herman and Jerri Blank. A naive character like Navin could be hard to root for in a film. But Martin makes his character sympathetic and the butt of the joke — a testament to his unique comedic abilities.