Seeing 'St. Vincent': Bill Murray's top 10 best movie roles

The one, the only...Bill Murray

Is there any comedic figure in America more beloved than Bill Murray? I can't think of one.

And yet, he's also proven, especially in recent years, that he can carry a dramatic scene too. Murray is an icon now, as much for his off-screen antics, as his memorable 30+ year career as a movie star.

Tonight, I plan to go see his latest movie, the sentimental indie comedy St. Vincent. He's getting strong reviews, but the movie -- not so much. It looks a little predictable for my tastes, but then again, it'll be fun to see Murray return to his broad comedy roots, albeit in a less-than-risky role.

Ironically, this movie looks like a callback to his first leading role as a camp counselor who helps a socially awkward kid come out of his shell in Meatballs. In some of his best parts Murray seems like the cool older brother of our dreams -- sly and one step ahead of all the squares.

His career has endured into his early 60s because, unlike a lot of his counterparts, he has largely avoided any embarrassing missteps, and when he has (the Garfield movies), he's made fun of them. Right when his career seemed to be going off the rails in the late 90s, he wisely hooked up with Wes Anderson and forged a fruitful partnership that added nuance to his persona and longevity to his appeal.

In honor of St. Vincent, which I'm hoping is more than just a cute coming-of-age movie. Here are my personal favorite Bill Murray performances.

I love Bill.

Honorable mention: This was a really hard list to winnow down. For instance, I am a big fan of Quick Change (the only movie he has ever directed) and also a number of his smaller supporting roles in movies like Tootsie, Mad Dog and Glory, Moonrise Kingdom and of course, The Royal Tenenbaums. But a top 10 list is a top 10 list so...

10) Kingpin (1996) - According to the Farrelly brothers (who directed this underrated bowling comedy), Murray improvised every single one of his lines at the unapologetically conniving and egotistical Ernie McCracken. Murray's outrageous hair pieces and costumes are just part of the fun here. Murray is one of the few actors who makes utterly repulsive behavior so appealing.

9) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - A polarizing Wes Anderson film, this one left a lot of people cold when it came out 10 years ago, but I loved it. Murray plays a sophisticated Jacques Cousteau-inspired underwater adventurer who is out to kill a shark that devoured his best friend. This whimsical character piece shows Murray can be both hilarious and heartbreaking. He is a standout among a dream ensemble of actors including Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe and Cate Blanchett.

8) Stripes (1981) - Bill Murray's first real star vehicle was a huge hit and put his own unique stamp of the military comedy genre. His performance as John Winger clearly served as an inspiration for future lovable louts played by the likes of Jason Segal, Seth Rogen and Vince Vaughn. His sarcastic slacker has a real character arch here. His scenes alongside Warren Oates as a drill instructor have real dramatic potency. A real showcase for Murray's chemistry with the late Harold Ramis.

7) Rushmore (1998) - Murray was unjustly overlooked for an Academy Award nomination for his iconic performance as Herman Bloome, a miserable, aging millionaire who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Max Fischer, an iconoclastic jack of all trades played by Jason Schwartzman. This movie marked the beginning of a real critical re-evaluation of his talents, but for longtime Murray fans it was just the culmination of many of his prior roles. No one does exasperated funnier than him.

6) What About Bob? (1991) - An usual, high energy role for Murray that he knocks out of the park. He takes a whiny, neurotic character who should be annoying on paper and makes him an infectious, adorable delight. This incredibly subversive "family comedy" could be  interpreted as a horror film if you think about it long enough. Patient tracks down his therapist while on vacation with his family and proceeds to insert himself into their lives. The performance works only because of the very real tension he creates with Richard Dreyfuss, who seems ready to explode in rage at the sight of him.

Lost In Translation

5) Broken Flowers (2005) - Bill Murray gives one of his most powerful dramatic performances in this little seen Jim Jarmusch film. In it, Murray plays an faded Don Juan who learns of an illegitimate son he's got out there somewhere. Goaded on by his best friend (a wonderful Jeffrey Wright) he goes on a search to find him, and ends up learning a lot more about himself along the way. A quiet, subtle performance that achieves real depth by the time this moving film reaches its offbeat conclusion.

4) Groundhog Day (1992) - This may be the perfect Murray film, and it's certainly one of the two or three he'll always be remembered for. It's got a perfect premise -- conceited weatherman wakes up in the same place at the same time every day until he learns to become selfless. It's got a great leading lady foil for him, the lovely Andie McDowell. But it also has a heart in addition to the laughs -- the powerful scene where Murray tries to keep a homeless man from dying is remarkable.

3) Caddyshack (1980) - One of my all-time favorite movies features Murray in one of his most unhinged performances as the manic groundskeeper Carl. According to Ramis, who directed the film, Murray was on such an improvisational hot streak at the time that they often just placed a camera in front of him and just let him riff. His character doesn't really have a plot function, he's just pure absurd comedy gold. And the scene between him and Chevy Chase is one of the most quotable ever.

2) Lost In Translation (2003) - Murray was finally given an Oscar nomination for a role that beautifully both pays homage to and enhances his established persona. His Bob Harris is a bit of a sad clown, an actor reduced to making cheesy commercials in Japan. There he meets a sweet and neglected young woman played by Scarlett Johansson and they strike up a friendship that almost becomes romantic and winds up deeply affecting them both. I'll always have a soft spot for this film.

1) Ghostbusters (1984) - As I've written before, Murray creates one of the coolest characters of all time in this perfect comedy film. His Peter Venkman made being a "geek", as he puts it, super suave and badass. The movie is chock-full of brilliance but none of it works without Murray at the center, his quips and comebacks are the stuff of legend. Every time I see this movie I can't walk away without a smile on my face, or more appropriately for Murray, a smirk.