Lets get one thing established right now. Bill Murray is one of the all time great on screen talents. His comedic timing is second to none, he burst on the scene on Saturday Night Live but soon surpassed the series with a strong transition to feature films. Comedy is is wheelhouse, but Murray has starred in all kinds of roles in all kinds of movies and in this list we’re going to take you through the greatest Bill Murray movies you simply have to see (preferably more than once). Some entries might also surprise you.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Murray isn’t a huge part of this particular Wes Anderson effort, but he lends his classic dead-pan voice to a Badger character and like so much else in the film it just flat out works.
Fantastic Mr. Fox isn’t a must -watch just for Murray, it’s an excellent, dynamic, heartfelt, and visually stunning recreation of the Roald Dahl classic. Suffice it to say this is one Bill Murray movie everyone needs to watch.
Zombieland
Zombieland took the world by storm with a humorously self aware and joyfully violent take on the Zombie genre. Nothing embodies the spirit and success of the movie better than Murray’s hilariously iconic cameo as himself. You have to see it to truly get it.
Stripes
Back in his early days Murray was making big hits like Caddyshack, but amongst the early winners is nestled this gem which would establish the onscreen genius partnership of Murray and Harold Ramis. The two of them would team up for some of the better movies of the coming decades, but first they had this fun romp with the US Military. Don’t miss it.
Rushmore
Rushmore helped establish Wes Anderson’s style, tone, and unique storytelling talent in the mainstream and Murray starred as a competitor/mentor to the film’s protagonist. This movie would be the start of the lengthy and fruitful collaboration between Anderson and Murray.
The Man Who Knew Too Little
This Murray vehicle really highlights his comedic genius. Not a supporting role or an off-kilter genre piece this is straight classic comedy with Murray leading the way. The movie just rolls out a North By Northwest style story of mistaken identity where Murray playfully moves through situations he doesn’t understand. It’s a comedic gem well worth the time.
Mad Dog and Glory
This is the kind of movie that literally doesn’t get made any more and it’s a shame. It stars Murray and Robert De Niro both way against type. Murray plays the tough mob boss and De Niro is the unassuming photographer who gets caught up in the dangerous world of organized crime. Between the two is a woman and the story is about love and confidence. Murray’s heel turn demonstrates how much he is capable of as an actor, and the movie is an enjoyable must-see.
Ed Wood
Tim Burton’s Ed Wood is a true classic. It takes the true story of the “worst director in Hollywood history” and brings it lovingly to life with lessons about art, humanity, and spirit abound. There is a lot about this movie to love even without Murray, who plays a smaller role but stands out and shouldn’t be missed.
Life Aquatic
Wes Anderson would eventually build his own Murray vehicle, literally, with the eclectic Life Aquatic. Murray stars as a kind of Jacuqes Cousteau type on a mission with a motly crew to find a shark that ate his old partner Estaban. The movie is quirky, visually fascinating, and the Murray performance leads the way.
Tootsie
Tootsie is famous for feature Dustin Hoffman in a pre-Mrs. Doubtfire but post Some Like it Hot drag situational comedy. If that concept is a subgenre those three movies rank atop it. Hoffman is excellent and the movie is considered a genuine classic, but you won’t miss scene stealer Murray as Hoffman’s roommate. One of the all time great small roles in a great film.
Scrooged
In the late 80s and early 90s Murray was on top of the cinema world just churning out greats. Scrooged was his take on A Christmas Carole and Murray is a perfect Scrooge. Set in the present day, the movie combines the Dicken’s plot with Murray’s incredible comedic talent to create a unique holiday classic.
Lost in Translation
Sophia Coppola and Scarlett Johansson made the biggest waves with this quiet exploration of a young girls time in Tokyo. The film captures ideas of alienation and displacement as she meets Murray’s character a fading movie star doing whiskey ads (for the real life inspiration google the Sean Connery whiskey ads). Murray, Johansson, and Coppola combined talents to create another iconic entry in cinema history.
Space Jam
In 1996 Michael Jordan ruled the earth, and he made a movie about defending it… by playing basketball. Murray, a long time Chicago sports fan, plays a small supporting role but in classic Murray fashion somehow upstages everyone from Bugs Bunny to Jordan himself with the delivery of a few hilariously perfect lines.
Kingpin
Another smaller role that steals the movie for Murray. Randy Quaid and Woody Harrelson star as bowlers in this early film from comedy giants Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The Farrelly Brothers were establishing their style of over the top humor and Murray helps tremendously in his role as ‘final bowling boss’ Ernie McCracken.
What About Bob
Murray co-stars with Richard Dryfuss in this comedy about a shrink trying to take a vacation. The thing in the way of the vacation is Bob, played by Murray, who simply cannot cope without his therapists help and follows Dryfuss and his family around. It is packed with laughs as Dryfus and Murray create a unique and perfect tandem.
Ghostbusters
Ghosbusters is what happens when everything goes right in the world of movies. There were false starts, other casting ideas, and bizarre luck that led to the convergence of ideas and talents involved in this comedy classic. Murray absolutely owns the movie with almost every line he utters becoming repeatable, memorable, and hilarious. If ever there was an example of an actor “in the zone” it is Billy Murray in Ghostbusters. The man was spitting fire.
Groundhog Day
Of all the movies in Bill Murray’s incredible career this one stands apart and above the rest. Groundhog Day on its face seems like another simple comedy from Murray’s golden era, written and directed by collaborator Harold Ramis, also starring Andie McDowell and countless other talented character actors. But Groundhog Day is more than the sum of it’s parts and it’s more than a comedy. It’s a powerful life lesson, it veers into territory about life and death, magic and faith, existence and God. Groundhog Day will make you laugh without question, but by the end it’ll also make you feel, and make you think and that is why it’s truly the number one must-see movie of Bill Murray’s incredible career.
