Last Updated on August 3, 2021
#1 – RUSHMORE
This is it, people. This is the definitive Bill Murray performance. Nuanced, broad, funny, serious, stirring, and pitch perfect. Murray has played several great roles for director Wes Anderson, but Herman Blume takes every strength and weakness Murray has to offer and combines them. An example of an actor and director on the exact same wavelength, this was the place when one of the best movie collaborations began. If anyone needs an example of what makes Bill Murray so great, show them this.
#2 – GHOSTBUSTERS
Oh Zuuly, you nut! Reitman and Murray again in a film that needs no introduction. GHOSTBUSTERS is a beloved movie and Murray is one of the prime reasons. The reason we get so upset at a third film is because Murray will not be leading the team. It is like The Beatles without John Lennon, it just doesn’t work. There is no way I can summarize why this movie is one of Murray’s best and I don’t need to. This is almost as good as it gets.
#3 – LOST IN TRANSLATION
It is amazing that it was not until 2003 that people began to truly take Bill Murray seriously. Even though THE RAZOR’S EDGE bombed, Murray showed some serious gravitas. LOST IN TRANSLATION catapulted Murray to the Oscar conversation and one he is garnering buzz for again in ST. VINCENT. This is a great movie with a romance that doesn’t require sex. A restrained and memorable performance from Murray alongside a sultry Scarlett Johansson makes this worthy of a top spot on this list.
#4 – SCROOGED
Bill Murray languished without a lead role in a film for 4 years after the critical and commercial bomb that was THE RAZOR’S EDGE. While that was a passion project for Murray, his return to form in SCROOGED showed that he had not lost any of his edge or comedic timing. A Christmas movie for grown-ups, this is one of those movies that is both heartwarming and scary but still incredibly good.
#5 – GROUNDHOG DAY
Few actors play a douchebag as well as Bill Murray. GROUNDHOG DAY starts out like a typical Murray role before escalating thanks to the central plot device of the repeated holiday. Soon we get to see Phil Connors discover what he truly wants and the movie becomes a romantic comedy of the highest order. The late Harold Ramis knew Murray as well as Murray knew himself and it shows on screen. A classic.
#6 – STRIPES
Another Ivan Reitman collaboration and one that shows the first balance between Bill Murray’s comedic timing and acting prowess. The scene above is a perfect example of how a hilarious movie can contain a well performed scene that has elements of acting and just Murray’s personality. A great movie with countless classic moments, STRIPES is a must see.
#7 – CADDYSHACK
CADDYSHACK features great performances from Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield, but everyone remembers Bill Murray. Overall, he has a small percentage of the screen time but he makes every moment he is on screen a quotable masterpiece. Take the clip above which serves no purpose to the overall film but is a slice of big screen comedy perfection.
#8 – WHAT ABOUT BOB?
One of Bill Murray’s more unique comedic roles is enhanced by the chemistry between him and co-star Richard Dreyfuss. While Dreyfuss gets to play the straight man who slowly loses his shit, Murray gets to play his character broadly. Broad comedy doesn’t always take a lot to make it work, but Murray makes Bob a very sympathetic crazy person and by film’s end you will really like him.
#9 – MEATBALLS
The first collaboration between Murray and buddy Ivan Reitman is the actor at his least restrained. This is a wild and crazy Bill Murray and a character he would go on to play numerous times over the next two decades. That doesn’t mean it isn’t great, though, as we see Murray unhinged and over the top in the best way possible.
#10 – BROKEN FLOWERS
Bill Murray had a dramatic renaissance in the early 2000s, the results of which generated a working relationship with director Jim Jarmusch. Their 2005 film together, BROKEN FLOWERS, shares a lot in common with ST. VINCENT. The stellar supporting cast includes Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy, and Chloë Sevigny. It is Murray’s understated comedic performance that really sells this one.
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