Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day"

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This is what Peter Travers writes in Rolling Stone about Bill Murray's performance in the new Jim Jarmusch movie: "Admittedly, I had that sinking feeling. Had those great, implosive Murray performances in Rushmore and Lost in Translation killed the defiant comic rebel of Meatballs, Tootsie, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day? Was Wild Bill no more?"

But Murray's "Groundhog Day" persona was as much implosive as wild, right? In hindsight, doesn't it seem that that's the role in which he makes the transition?

― M. V. (M.V.), Saturday, 23 July 2005 10:37 (twenty years ago)

I think you're right in the specific question you ask--Murray's pretty subdued in Groundhog Day from what I remember--but I agree with the general point Travers makes. I count Murray's performances in Rushmore and Lost in Translation as two of the greatest in recent years, but I bet Kael would have complained that he'd become softened up and that what she used to love about him (she may have been the only critic to write nice things about Scrooge) had been smothered by middle-age dragginess. I don't know, maybe not. But I can see where someone who loved Murray in Stripes might be disappointed by his recent work; I don't agree, I love both, but I can see where someone else wouldn't.

― Phil Dellio (j.j. hunsecker), Saturday, 23 July 2005 21:44 (twenty years ago)

Murray's current greatness as a serious actor is so historically inexplicable it's almost eerie. (Maybe it's of a kind with what Steve Martin or Jim Carrey did, but at a completely different level, I think.) And it seems to me that we actually get to see the transformation happening in his "Groundhog Day" performance.

That's what I'm getting at, I guess...

― M. V. (M.V.), Monday, 25 July 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

Men act differently at 55 than 30 -- unless, sadly, they're Jerry Lewis -- so I don't see anything to mourn in Murray's shift in style. And yeah, he's a man beaten down by life in most of Groundhog Day (til he sets out to control the situation), not a "defiant rebel."

(actually, not fair to Lewis above -- he gave a poised sober perf in both King of Comedy and the Wiseguy TV series)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 25 July 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

I would say that Bill Murray is closer to Tom Hanks than Martin or Carrey in that his evolution has been fairly subtle, noticeable but subtle. Hanks and Carrey went from completely zany, albeit somewhat cerebral zany, to 'serious' ac-tor quite drastically. Murray's characters have always been schlumpy, downtrodden, even the old SNL bits. The new stuff is indicative of how a grown man is more accepting of who he is whereas a younger guy will mask it with antics and more overt humor. Probably says more about Murray himself than any fortuitous role selection.

But yeah, Groundhog Day and Scrooged were definitely the turning point.

― Pete Macia (pasty y paunchy), Saturday, 24 September 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Groundhog Day and Scrooged were released five years apart. In the middle of the two, Murray released Ghostbusters II, Quick Change and What About Bob.

I guess maybe Groundhog Day was a turning point (if only for the fact that it's the first film to use Murray to the zenith of his ability, imo), but the character in that movie is really not particularly different than the character he played in Stripes. The difference is that Stripes is slapstick and Groundhog Day is a rom com, but it was the first rom com he ever made.

Mad Dog and Glory, on the other hand, was the first time I heard any "Bill-Murray-is-a-Serious-Actor" talk.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 28 September 2005 05:15 (twenty years ago)

What about "The Razor's Edge"?

― Marxism Goes Better With Coke (Charles McCain), Thursday, 29 September 2005 20:37 (twenty years ago)

maugham's always an entertaining read. how is the film?

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Thursday, 29 September 2005 20:55 (twenty years ago)

I didn't like it much at the time. My memories of it are 20 years old. I wonder if I'd like it more now...

― M. V. (M.V.), Friday, 30 September 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

dudes here's a good article about bill murray:

― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Tuesday, 2 February 2010 21:57 (fifteen years ago)

(actually, not fair to Lewis above -- he gave a poised sober perf in both King of Comedy and the Wiseguy TV series)

he does a pretty self-loathing/mocking role, in the KOC vein, in Lee Evans vehicle Funny Bones

― see also cockfarmer fanbases (sic), Tuesday, 2 February 2010 23:23 (fifteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6EZkIaJcCI

― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Tuesday, 2 February 2010 23:37 (fifteen years ago)

two years pass...

This is one of the greatest movies of all time.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 6 June 2012 01:59 (thirteen years ago)

eight months pass...

My class does a media thing where they write a paper comparing sitcoms from three different eras. This year they're comparing The Partridge Family, The Cosby Show, and The Suite Life on Deck (first two I have on DVD, the last is all over YouTube for free). They watched this episode today--completely plagiarized from Groundhog Day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t_69xlIGS8

― clemenza, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 04:50 (twelve years ago)

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