“Groundhog Day” (1993)
Is it even possible to make a perfect film? Harold Ramis comes very close with “Groundhog Day.” Some might argue that it’s too sentimental, but the screenplay is impossibly tight, packed with belly laughs, ingenious, profound and like “It’s A Wonderful Life,” surprisingly dark in places. If somehow you’ve never seen the movie, it finds Murray playing a bitter weatherman who gets caught in an endless time loop on the titular day, until he figures out what he needs to fix in his life to move on. It’s sharp and funny stuff, and while Ramis has never really done anything as good since, he does very strong work here, filling the supporting cast with terrific comic actors from Chris Elliot to Steven Tobolowsky (and even a young, still-terrifying Michael Shannon) and never letting the pace flag. But really, try to imagine this with Steve Martin or Tom Hanks (who were both considered) in the lead. They might have been fine, but it’s Murray that makes it soar. The other actors were allegedly ruled out because Ramis considered them “too nice,” and one can see why. The movie doesn’t work without Murray at his cynical best, but he also manages to sell the character’s transformation in a totally believable way. So, while “Groundhog Day” isn’t quite perfect, it comes damn near close.
“Rushmore” (1998)
It really must be noted — because perhaps it isn’t entirely obvious to some — that there is a distinct before and after period for Murray and his career, and it’s obviously delineated by Wes Anderson‘s “Rushmore.” Sure, it marks the beginning of Murray’s turn as a dramatic actor (if you ignore 1984’s “The Razor’s Edge,” and most do), which perhaps unleashed the tidal wave of soul and pathos we were heretofore unaware that he possessed, but in rewatching his old films there’s a remarkable shift in quality, both in his performances and in the caliber of the films. In writing this feature it became clear to us that while Murray was always a fine comedic actor, he’s almost never looked back since his first Anderson collaboration, and it’s something for which we’re eternally grateful to the filmmaker. Anyone who says “Rushmore” is not Wes Anderson’s best film bar none should have their head examined, and Murray is instrumental in balancing the melancholy dolor and the bittersweet comedy that makes this film an autumnal modern classic. While always admired, Murray gained new-found thespian respect (plus his first significant award-season plaudits) for his forlorn and humanizing turn as the lonely and self-loathing millionaire Herman Blume, who falls into a love triangle with a 15-year-old prep school boy (Jason Schwartzman, in a career-making role) and schoolteacher Miss Cross (Olivia Williams). Blume is both shameless and petty, and yet a genuine friend to this ambitious, yet always-underachieving teen. They’re made for one another and Murray’s soulful and hilarious turn as the aging steel magnate evinced a quiet inner ache that’s remarkably watchable, and one for the ages.
