Top 5 Bill Murray Characters
1) Phil Connors — Groundhog’s Day
2) Carl Spackler — Caddyshack
3) Dr. Peter Venkman — Ghostbusters
4) Bob Wiley — What About Bob?
5) Herman Blume — Rushmore
Runners up:
John Winger — Stripes
Bob Harris — Lost in Translation
Wally Ritchie — The Man Who Knew Too Little
Very interesting, Rusty. I’m going to leave aside the order of your picks, and say first of all that Bob Wiley should not belong in there at all. Instead I’d include Bob Harris. Make it Suntory time.
And where’s the love for Broken Flowers? His character in that film was complete genius. It’s a recent film of his and it gets overlooked sometimes, but it was wonderful.
Comment by Supergenius — January 29, 2007 @ 9:59 am
You may be right about Bob Harris. The “rick my stocking” scene is genius as well as Suntory time. But I’d probably bump Herman Blume off rather than Bob Wiley.
I haven’t seen Broken Flowers. I guess I need to now.
Comment by Rusty — January 29, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Stripes has to be #1. Come on. It’s Czechoslovakia. It’s like going to Wisconsin.
#2 Carl Spackler – so so movie but inspired performance by Murray.
#3 Bob Wiley – One of Murray’s best.
#4 Peter Venkman – Arguably his best performance even if the sequel really screwed up what could have been an awesome franchise. (Although the video game looks great)
#5 Wally Ritchie – the third act is a mess and ruins the movie. But those first 2/3rd are fantastic. One of his best characters even if not necessarily a top 5 movie.
Runners up. Bunny Breckinridge – Ed Wood. Come on. How could you forget this? Lost in Translation was a good movie, but not really a memorable Murray role.
Comment by Clark — January 29, 2007 @ 10:47 am
I’m with SG, his “Don Johnston” from Broken Flowers is one of the best. Others that come to mind:
Raliegh St. Claire, Royal Tenenbaums
Steve Zissou, Life Aquatic
Comment by Greg — January 29, 2007 @ 11:25 am
I love Royal Tenenbaums but didn’t think it was that memorable a role. Great movie and I did like Murray in it. Life Aquatic was much more of a mess. I didn’t care for it.
Comment by Clark — January 29, 2007 @ 11:33 am
The title is Groundhog Day.
Comment by D. Fletcher — January 29, 2007 @ 11:51 am
I’d put Herman Blume, Phil Connors and Peter Venkam up top, but I don’t have strong feelings about the others. I guess Bob Harris deserves to be near the top as well, though I go back and forth trying to decide whether that movie is overrated or not.
A few overlooked rolls that are worth mentioning:
Ed Wood – Bunny Breckenridge
The Razor’s Edge – Larry Darrell
Tootsie – Jeff Slater
And Garfield, of course.
Garfield aside, Bill Murray’s had a pretty solid movie career.
Comment by BTD Greg — January 29, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
He went through that period where there were some real stinkers. Outside of his art house run I think the late 90′s were pretty bad for Murray. Perhaps because he was so tired of those mainstream movies.
Garfield and Charlie’s Angels were undoubtedly just for the cash.
Comment by Clark — January 29, 2007 @ 12:26 pm
Peter Venkman is his best role, IMHO. He nailed the dead-pan humor in that film like no one else could. No one else could be Peter Venkman after Bill Murray.
Comment by Dan — January 29, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
BTD Greg,
I haven’t seen any of those three films. You’re probably right. And is your opinion on Garfield based on first-hand knowledge?
Comment by Rusty — January 29, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
I’m with BTD Greg on the top 3, and probably in that order. Rushmore was such an unexpected treat. “These are OR scrubs.” “OH ARE they???”
Comment by a random John — January 29, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
Never seen Tootsie?
Comment by D. Fletcher — January 29, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
Christmas was only a month ago. No love for Frank Cross from Scrooged??? Gotta love a guy who gets beat up by an angel and shot at by Bobcat Goldthwaite(sp?).
Comment by John Scherer — January 29, 2007 @ 4:07 pm
Don Johnston was brilliant.
Comment by Bryce I — January 29, 2007 @ 10:48 pm
I don’t know how you could possibly bump Bob Wiley off the list.
Comment by John — January 30, 2007 @ 9:45 am
I’m not too big on Murray’s early stuff. I can’t exactly say why. It might just be due to my general aversion to late 70′s/80′s culture in general.
I probably like him the most in Groundhog Day. He was convincing along the broadest spectrum of states of mind you can imagine. That was one of the great comedic performances, maybe the best since Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove.
I liked him in Broken Flowers but I wasn’t too hot on the movie. After watching that and Dead Man I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t get Jarmusch, though I did like Neil Young’s soundtrack work in Dead Man.
He was funny in What About Bob? and The Man Who Knew Too Little, but neither performance was particularly impressive. They were both kind of one-note.
I don’t remember much of him from The Royal Tennenbaums, but I seem to remember liking him.
Comment by Tom — January 30, 2007 @ 9:47 am
1. Dr. Peter Venkman  Ghostbusters
2. Dr. Peter Venkman  Ghostbusters 2
3. Raliegh St. Claire  The Royal Tenenbaums
4. Herman Blume  Rushmore
5. Don Johnston  Broken Flowers
I thought Lost in Translation was by far a better film than Broken Flowers, but I think I like the Don Johnston character more.
Comment by Eric Russell — January 30, 2007 @ 10:13 am
I thought Bill Murray’s character in The Royal Tannenbaums was small and forgettable, and I thought that The Life Aquatic was deeply disappointing.
I’m really, really hoping that Wes Anderson finds his groove again.
Comment by BTD Greg — January 30, 2007 @ 10:22 am
It was small and somewhat forgettable. Although it certainly worked in the context of the film. The interplay between Murray and that kid he is studying is classic.
Comment by Clark — January 30, 2007 @ 10:30 am
Tom,
Don’t give up on Jarmusch after just Broken Flowers and Dead Man. Dead Man is one of his more, well, difficult films (though I really liked Broken Flowers). Try Down By Law, a classic film starring Roberto Benigni and Tom Waits, or Ghost Dog, with Forest Whitaker (and an amazing soundtrack by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan). Coffee and Cigarettes is fun because of the cast, but not all that memorable.
Comment by Greg — January 30, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai is one of the all time favorites.
Comment by Supergenius — January 30, 2007 @ 1:37 pm
I really liked both Ghost Dog and Dead Man. Dead Man was kind of odd but had a very poetic feel to it. I never saw Broken Flowers, which I heard was more mainstream.
Comment by Clark — January 30, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
I can’t believe Polonius was left out. A minor role, but well executed.
Comment by JKC — February 1, 2007 @ 11:05 am
I love Bill.
Comment by Rhapsidiomite — February 2, 2007 @ 12:32 am