PITTSBURGH (THE MOVIE)

It came out in ’06 or ’07, but I didn’t catch it until today on cable and it’s a treat.

It’s like a cross between a Woody Allen and a Christopher Guest movie, like say aspects of Woody’s HOLLYWOOD ENDING (or BULLETS OVER BROADWAY) with aspects of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (or FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION) and a pinch of John Cassavetes’ OPENING NIGHT thrown in.

It stars Jeff Goldblum as himself making the choice to return to Pittsburgh to star in a two week run of THE MUSIC MAN in the local (and beautifully refurbished) theater.

It co-stars Ed Begley Jr., Illeanna Douglas and Moby (who turns out to be a great comic straight man), all playing themselves as well, but in ways that occasionally stretch credulity for the comedic effects but also sometimes are dead on realistic as far as the real back scene scenes in Hollywood go (from my personal experience, and full disclosure Begley is an old friend I haven’t seen in a few years but still consider one of the nicest and smartest people I’ve ever known (back when Trivial Pursuit was all the rage in Hollywood if you had Ed on your team you were guaranteed to win) and Goldblum I met a few times through Begley but don’t really know).

It’s a treat, and I’m surprised I hadn’t heard more about it. A great insight into the acting profession and “stardom” and the kinds of ego struggles many actors and “stars” seem to go through, despite their obviously being pretty much like anyone else, just magnified by the extreme attention, both from audiences and themselves.

Worth catching.