To celebrate the premiere of Bill Murray’s latest film, “St. Vincent,” and to give the iconic comedian’s body of work the respect it deserves, the Toronto International Film Festival has designated today as Bill Murray Day, with free screenings of classics “Stripes," “Groundhog Day,” and “Ghostbusters.” But if you can’t attend the festivities, take a moment to celebrate by checking out this first clip from “St Vincent,” which also screens at TIFF today.
The clip, which features Melissa McCarthy, delivers on the film’s premise: a retired, cash-strapped, and alcohol-relishing Murray finds himself babysitting for the single mom next door, inevitably exposing her kid to a world of inappropriate vices (strip clubs, racetracks, dive bars), but winning his unlikely friendship and respect in the process. In it, we see Jaeden Lieberher mowing Murray’s lawn (which is more of a dirt patch) while Murray relaxes in a lounge chair. When McCarthy arrives and expresses her distress at her son being relegated to the role of a child laborer, it prompts Murray to explain himself: “I’m showing him how the world works. You work, you get paid, you drink.”
It’s a first time feature-writing and directing effort form Theodore Melfi, and while the redemptive premise is a bit worryingly predictable and familiar, the script has generated good buzz since it started making the rounds. Appearances by Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, and Terrence Howard are also encouraging, though the actors may simply have been unable to resist a chance to co-star with Murray. Watch below, and you can see the film in full when it opens on October 24th. [EW]
