The Ninth Annual Mutant Awards: 2006

Awarded to Bill Murray
Some of his movies: Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters, Quick Change, Stripes, Ghostbusters 2, The Man Who Knew Too Little, Lost In Translation, Meatballs, Rushmore, Charlie's Angels, Caddyshack, Osmosis Jones, What About Bob?, The Little Shop of Horrors

I have a confession: I was slow to realize it, but it turns out I've been (poorly) imitating Bill Murray for the better part of 15 years. Not on purpose, but one day I looked up and there I was, with the deadpan remarks and sarcastic asides that nobody laughs at but the invisible audience. Because that's the beauty of Murray: he's easily one of the funniest men alive, but he does it all with subtle humor, blink-and-you'll-miss-it quips. His jokes don't pound on your door demanding "Laugh at me!"… instead, you come downstairs one day to find they've been sleeping on your couch for a week without you even knowing. Likewise, Bill doesn't dominate films; he just improves them exponentially by his presence, and you don't even realize it until you mentally remove him and think, "Wow, that movie was just kinda okay… except for Bill!" Groundhog Day without Bill Murray — unremarkable sentimental fluff film. Ghostbusters without Bill Murray — interesting premise sunk by John Belushi's death. Caddyshack without Bill Murray — Caddyshack 2. Need I go on?

I could spend all day waxing obsequious about the man, but the real testament to Murray's talent is that of all the SNL/Second City alum, he's the only one still making [u]funny[/u] films. While Chevy Chase and co. muddle through countless lame paycheck movies, Murray continues to bring his A-game to collaborations with Wes Anderson and other talented directors, with every film better than the last. For these reasons, and because he'd save YOU if you turned into a dog, we honor him as this year's CLAAW recipient. Gunga Gulunga!

When we came upon the annual internal debate at Mutant HQ over this year's Cult Lifetime Achievement, there were many excellent nominees on the table. We made our cases for each one, strove to protect our babies, and fought the good fight that lasted well into the night.

Then Nancy, little Nancy, had to come along and put an end to it all with two words: "Bill Murray."

That was it. End of discussion. Sure, we weren't all rabid Murray fans, but is there anyone more deserving to be given an award to someone who embodied cult with a span of works that range back to the late 1970's? Is there an actor alive who is more quotable in more movies than Murray? Don't think so.

I'm not utterly thrilled that Murray has entered his transition to more dramatic roles — we see this happen in many comedy actors' lives, and it's always disheartening to see them drift from their roots. But if anyone's entitled to a little variety in his old age, it's Murray.

Dashing onto the scene with his role in SNL, Meatballs and Stripes, Murray quickly became known as the average-looking Joe with the razor-sharp tongue. Balding even in his early years and possessing no great handsomeness to speak of, Murray showed us that personality and wit trumped mere looks. It wasn't until Ghostbusters that he became a genuine star, cult and otherwise, and the ball's been rolling ever since. Look at that list up there! That's just a part of his roles.

Ghostbusters is, of course, my favorite Murray work, all the more so for it being a collaborative effort with other talented comedians. But I'd have to point to Murray's 90's works — Groundhog Day, What About Bob? and The Man Who Knew Too Little — as the high point of his appeal, striking out in all directions and mastering both sarcasm and childlike innocence with ease.

Billy, this award's for you. Thanks for all you've given us.

Bill Murray is my boy. I say it again and again on this site and yet I'm still afraid some mosey reader in the back may have not heard me. Bill Murray is everything I value about artists. He's incredibly intelligent, unique, but is above all hilarious. He gets that being funny is point one, and I have so much respect for that.

I like that he starts out straight-up kooky (Meatballs), works his way up to outstanding piece of smart comedy (Stripes), makes his mark as an undeniable cultural icon (Ghostbusters), taps into his dry melancholy side (Wes Anderson movies) while still maintaining humor (Who didn't laugh when Bill fell down the stairs in the Life Aquatic?) and then! And then! Hits us with some of the grandest examples of beautiful introspective drama in modern film (Lost In Translation, Broken Flowers).

Please don't try to fight his power because it is undeniable, alright. He deserves this award because he's everything an actor should be.

I'm a Bill Murray girl.

The thing I think I like most about Bill Murray is that he's one of those actors whose face you just can't flip by on TV. If it's a rainy Sunday afternoon, and you're resigned to the cooking shows, or one of those shows where they build a house for some poor woman whose husband died and left her with thirteen blind children, it's always a treat when you flip around and come across Ghostbusters. Or What About Bob? Or Stripes. Or Quick Change. It is just impossible to go by a Bill Murray movie.

The man is a modern clown prince of comedy, and such credits as those I've just named just can't be refuted. Ghostbusters in particular stands as probably one of my most favourite movies of all time, especially in the quotability department. ANY time I pull a tablecloth off a table, I have to add "And the flowers... are still standing!". I routinely tell people that the stairs "go up". And you'd be surprised how often "That was your plan. 'Get her!'" fits into a conversation.

On the other side of the coin, ol' Bill has shown us a real dramatic side as he gets into the next stage of his career. Movies like Lost in Translation and The Royal Tenenbaums have shown us that Bill is capable of more serious characters. Sure, he still plays funny roles in those movies, but roles that require more depth than just the slapstick and quick tongue of his earlier stuff. Seeing him play a middle aged man in so much domestic pain opposite Scarlett Johannson in LiT is honestly one of the best jobs I've seen any actor do in the past five years, and I'm dead serious. The man has talents that we're just now seeing, more than twenty five years after he first broke out into the public view. Now that directors and producers have an idea that he can handle more serious roles, I look forward to seeing what else he can do. And that's really the sign of a great actor. Someone whose existing work thrills, amuses, and captivates you, but still shows signs that the best may be yet to come.

Here's to Peter Venkman, Steve Zissou, Phil Connors, Frank Cross, John Winger, Carl Spackler, and many more.

Here's to Bill.

I have to admit:

1.) I have about an hour (or less) left in Ducklet's nap, and I need to get two apple pies made.
2.) Nancy has probably already wrote an entire essay on Mr. Murray
3.) I have no idea what to say.

So in lieu of actually writing a glowing review of Bill there, I'll leave you with some of my favorite quotes of his from his best movies (i.e., the ones I've seen.) Maestro, if you please….

"We're soldiers; but we're American soldiers. We've been kickin' ass for 200 years. We're 10 and 1." -John Winger, Stripes

"Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual." -John Winger, Stripes

"I don't like when somebody comes up to me the next day and says, "Hey, man, I saw your play. It touched me; I cried." I like it when a guy comes up to me a week later and says, "Hey, man, I saw your play... what happened?"" -Jeff Slater, Tootsie

"Why worry? Each one of us is carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back." -Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghost Busters

"We came, we saw, we kicked its ass." -Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghost Busters

"I think I need a root canal. I definitely need a long, slow root canal." -Arthur Denton, Little Shop of Horrors

"Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today." -Phil Connors, Groundhog Day

"So. She smokes." -Raleigh St. Clair, The Royal Tenenbaums

On the pop cultural landscape, Bill Murray is a towering figure. Caddyshack is arguably the greatest sports comedy ever, and Bill Murray is a massive part of that. Ghostbusters is one of the greatest comedies ever, and Bill Murray is a massive part of that. The list, easily available to read at imdb.com, is a collection of amazing achievements: Meatballs. Stripes. Tootsie. Scrooged. Groundhog Day. What About Bob?. I could go on. I won't because you know these films. You love these films. Occasionally, to pick up potential partners at bars, you quote heavily from the films. Maybe that's just me.

I shudder to think of the acting landscape without the unique contributions of (should be Sir) Bill Murray. How would we, both fellow thespians and fellow human beings, know how to harness the immense power of unflappability and bored disinterest in anything that doesn't immediately relate to ourselves if Bill Murray had not blazed the trail? How would we laugh, either in fraternity/sorority house settings or in general life settings, without the presence of Bill Murray films?

All the other Mutants will almost certainly herald the greatness of Bill Murray, and rightfully so. He is a great, great man. I didn't think much of his comedic book on golfing, but for the most part his other contributions to all the worlds he has moved within are incredible. The world has changed as a result of Bill Murray, and as a result of that, we the Mutants are presenting him with the highest honor we personally can bestow: a Cult Lifetime Achievement award. Bless you, Bill Murray, for you have made our lives much shinier as a result of your being alive!

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