Bill Murray comedies. Like many others, I’m a big fan of the rebirth of Bill Murray in Rushmore, Broken Flowers and the great Lost in Translation (not so much Life Aquatic). But a word of praise here about some of his earlier comedies. In the 48 hours leading up to New Year’s my kids and I had a Bill Murray festival, watching Ghostbusters I and II, Groundhog Day and Quick Change. These could all have been sappy, crappy comedies, and in fact they often are. But all are ultimately saved by Murray. The comic timing, the deadpan delivery, the smarminess honed on SNL, and the simple glances that signify to the audience that he is the only sane person in the room always make Murray’s scenes enjoyable for me, even when the rest of the movie fails.
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