The Best Bill Murray Movie Isn’t the One You Think It Is

What's the best Bill Murray movie of all time? We could debate that question for hours. But we don't need to; I have the answer.

And I'll tell you what it is straightaway, lest you think I'm going to blather before actually giving you my take. It's 2003's Lost in Translation. As I'm typing this, the movie just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Released on September 12, 2003, the Sofia Coppola-directed film stars Murray as a fading American movie star named Bob Harris who meets a young woman in Tokyo with whom he has much more in common than meets the eye.

It's a departure for the actor, to be sure. Murray's comedic work on the big screen from the late '70s through the early '90s is legendary. From classics like Meatballs and Caddyshack and Stripes and Ghostbusters and What About Bob? and Groundhog Day the man absolutely could not miss. But it's when he started to pivot away from comedic roles to more serious fare in the late '90s that the Murray magic started to happen.

That pivot point was Wes Anderson's second film, 1998's Rushmore. Murray as Herman Blume was the perfect blend of the comedic and dramatic. It gave the actor an opportunity to showcase his depth while still playing to his strengths. The performance ensconced Murray in the Wes Anderson menagerie. And it put him on Sofia Coppola's radar.

Coppola claims she wouldn't have made Lost in Translation without Bill Murray as Bob Harris. Once you've watched the film, you can see why. Much like his portrayal of Herman Blume in Rushmore, Murray plays Harris with a comedic edge, but balances it out with a melancholy depth that captures the disconnection and despondence of a middle-aged actor whose time has passed and who is far away from home.

His on-screen chemistry with Scarlett Johansson's Charlotte is...well, it's hard to find the proper adjective. There's a complex connection between the two characters. It's romantic without being a romance. It's love without falling in love. It's a bond and an understanding between two people at two very different stations in life that, at that moment in time, have everything in common.

Lost in Translation is an incredibly well-done film. It's an all-time favorite of mine; I come back to it pretty much every year. And a big reason why is Bill Murray. I was floored by the nuance of his performance when the movie debuted 20 years ago, and I still am today. I'll always love Peter Venkman and Carl Spackler. But Bob Harris will always be my favorite.

When he's not popping up at pubs and golf tournaments, Mr. Murray is making movies. These 12 Bill Murray movies are among the best.

To set your expectations, this is not your usual Bill Murray movie list. You won't find Meatballs or Caddyshack or Stripes or Ghostbusters or What About Bob? or Groundhog Day here. Of course, those are all Murray classics. You know this, I know this. Yet there's so much more to Bill Murray's filmography. That's what I'll be digging into here.

Remember, Murray's background is in comedy. He cut his teeth with The Second City in Chicago, then moved to New York City to be a featured player on The National Lampoon Radio Hour. It was his pal John Belushi who brought him east, and you don't need me to remind you that the two ended up on Saturday Night Live. With that, Murray's career as a comedic actor was launched, and he quickly became a star. That short list of the half-dozen movies I shared above are proof of that. But again, that's not what I want to focus on here. I want to take a look at Bill Murray's "second act."

The late '90s and early '00s saw Murray take a turn to the dramatic. And the dramatic roles in those films fueled a resurgence not only interest from directors, but interest from the viewing audience. Those of us who knew Bill Murray from SNL in the '70s and his funny films from the '80s got a whole new Bill to fall in love with. And fans who were seeing him for the first time in the films of Wes Anderson (of which there are many on the list below) were in for a surprise when they dug into his back catalog.

So, without further ado, here's Adam 12's list of 12 of my Murray faves. Enjoy.

Be prepared: You're going to want to go back and watch a bunch of old, weird Ed Wood movies after you watch this one.

Bill Murray as Herman Blume. A turning point in his career. And all-time great performance.

"Wait, Bill Murray was in a production of Hamlet?" Yeah, the early 2000s were weird.

Murray's second movie with Wes Anderson. The two together can do no wrong.

One of my all-time favorite films. Perhaps Bill's all-time greatest performance.

Bill Murray + RZA + GZA = Cinema Gold

Can we just take a moment to appreciate a bearded Bill Murray? Beard goals.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you've never watched this one. Take care of that soon.

Bill's performance is overshadowed by those of his costars, but it's still vintage Murray-by-way-of-Anderson.

I love this film and I don't get why a lot of so-called Anderson fans don't. And Bill is part of what makes it so good.

It's not easy to shine in an all-star cast like this one. But Murray does just that.

See? And you didn't think we'd get to an even dozen. Now go watch as many as you can!