From the slapstick farces of Saturday Night Live to the thoughtful, sometimes subtle seriocomic roles in which he excelled, Bill Murray enjoyed a diverse film career. He landed laughs in Ivan Reitman’s Army comedy Stripes and co-starred with Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters.
He also starred in Rushmore and offered touching, intelligent work in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. He lent his distinctive voice to Fox’s computer-animated Garfield and appeared in Jim Jarmusch films.
Meatballs (1979)
The first time the world got to see Murray’s free-association comedy skills was in this teen movie about summer camp misadventures. Although he would play more down-to-earth characters in later movies, Murray was at his most whimsical as Tripper Harrison in Meatballs.
The gomovies film is based on the real-life Camp White Pine in Haliburton, Ontario. The location lent the film its sense of realism and authenticity. Several scenes were also shot at other locations, including Montreal and Saugus, California.
Meatballs marked Murray’s first starring role and launched the career of director Ivan Reitman, who went on to direct such comedies as Stripes and Ghostbusters. It was the first of six films with writer Harold Ramis, who would co-write many of Murray’s most enduring characters. The movie’s juvenile humor—including fart and feces jokes—may seem tame by today’s standards, but that’s what makes it so funny.
Caddyshack (1980)
With a cast of seasoned actors including Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield, Caddyshack is one of the most iconic comedies of all time. Its satire, physical humor, and countless quotable lines have left a lasting impact on the genre and helped launch the careers of Murray and Dangerfield.
Following the box office hits of two Ghostbusters movies and other crowd-pleasing comedies, Murray branched out with a more serious turn in Mad Dog and Glory (1998) and Wes Anderson’s Rushmore (1998). He continued to take on challenging seriocomic roles in such films as The Darjeeling Limited (2004), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
Murray was a natural at voice work, and he proved that with the hilarious animated films Garfield (2004-2006) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). He also starred in Sofia Coppola’s elegant film Lost in Translation (2003). In addition, Murray provided a wry cameo in the popular horror comedy Zombieland (2013).
Ghostbusters (1984)
After their success in the National Lampoon Radio Hour and Saturday Night Live, Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis teamed up again for this science-fiction comedy about ghost-hunting parapsychologists. They’re a wacky, offbeat trio: Ray is the looney one who makes clueless mistakes; Egon has an intellectual precision without any sense of irony; and Peter Venkman exudes gleeful cynicism.
Despite his comedic reputation, Murray has shown an interest in and skill for dramatic roles as well. He’s given sensitive performances in films from Sofia Coppola and Jim Jarmusch.
Murray is a master of ad-libs, and his deadpan delivery helps make this low-budget horror flick a fun, funny ride. He stars as Richie Vance, a washed-up music manager who finds new meaning in his life after discovering an Afghan girl with an incredible voice.
What About Bob? (1991)
After a period of low-profile work, Murray regained critical acclaim for his role as a washed-up actor visiting Japan in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. The depth of his performance prompted critics to compare him to such legendary dramatic actors as Gary Cooper and Richard Dreyfuss.
Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) is an egotistical psychiatrist in New York who is pawned off on Bob Wiley, a neurotic man with multiple phobias. Bob is obsessed with his goldfish and fancies himself a detective. He tries to communicate with the outside world by constantly calling Leo and attempting to sneak into his apartment.
Eventually, Leo convinces him to take a vacation with him to the Lake Winnipesaukee area of New Hampshire. Initially he is an annoyance to Leo and his family, but Bob bonds with Fay, Anna & Siggy and starts to enjoy life. He even teaches Siggy how to dive.
Groundhog Day (1993)
A cynical TV weatherman finds himself repeating the same day over and over again when he goes on location to the small Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney to cover its Groundhog Day celebration. His predicament drives him to distraction until he realizes that he can use the event to his advantage.
The film was written by Danny Rubin and directed by Harold Ramis. Originally, it was intended to be a much darker movie but the final product turned out to be more comedic in nature.
It was a breakout role for Murray and it set him on the path to more serious work. The music by George Fenton was also a standout aspect of the movie. The music for Phil’s abduction by the Groundhog is scored like a Loony Tunes cartoon with lots of xylophone and big bold horns, while the music for his attempted suicide is more dramatic and touching.
Lost in Translation (2003)
In Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, Murray portrays Bob Harris, an aging movie star who is sent to Tokyo to film a whiskey commercial. While there, he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) and the two strike up an unexpected friendship.
The movie was a critical and commercial success, and Murray’s performance received widespread acclaim. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor. Critics praised his handling of the more serious role, and his ability to balance it with his comedic persona.
This marked the beginning of a long relationship with director Wes Anderson, in which he appeared in Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Isle of Dogs. Over the years, he also appeared in several other films and television shows, including the comedy series Cheers and Frasier.