Scarlett Johansson’s favourite Bill Murray movie
If not for Lost In Translation, there’s every chance that Scarlett Johansson wouldn’t be the behemoth of Hollywood stardom that she is today. Her turns in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World confirmed her acting prowess, but it really was Sofia Coppola’s 2003 masterpiece that catapulted her to international fame. Beyond the bustling Tokyo setting, the gorgeous cinematography and the profound depiction of alienation, the most compelling element of Coppola’s film was the undeniable chemistry between Johansson and her co-star, Bill Murray.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that if Johansson were to have a favourite Murray film, it might well be the one she co-starred in. Failing that, maybe Ghostbusters? Recently, the Under the Skin actor confirmed her top Murray film, and as it turns out, it’s neither of the two.
In a red carpet interview with Letterboxd during the premiere of Wes Anderson’s fantastic new feature, Asteroid City, Johansson had the opportunity to list her all-time favourite films. Among the four she offered, one of them was a beloved 1990s Bill Murray comedy that, despite its immediate critical and commercial success, has been somewhat lost in the annals of film history. Or, at least, overshadowed by the actor’s other works. In a surprise choice, Johansson stated one of her favourite films, and therefore her favourite of Murray’s, as the 1993 time-loop movie Groundhog Day.
Directed by Harold Ramis, this concept-driven comedy follows a selfish and narcissistic weatherman, Phil Connors, who travels to a small Pennsylvania town on a business trip. After being generally cynical, snide and horrible to everyone around him, he wakes up the next morning to realise that he’s reliving the same day. What follows is a journey of self-discovery and growth that is hilarious, tragic, incredibly dark and beautifully redemptive.
What sets Groundhog Day apart from other comedies, and other Murray films in general, is its peculiar narrative trick which allows Murray to showcase his entire range of acting skills. He gives us dry and sardonic humour, unbridled rage, debilitating pessimism and even suicidal depression. During one sequence which manages to strike a very precarious balance between light and dark, we see a montage of various attempted suicides by Phil that only result in him waking up the same morning – trapped in a cruel cycle of repetition.
Revisiting the film, it’s actually easy to see how it could be someone’s favourite. Why Johansson’s in particular, we won’t know – as interesting as it would be, she didn’t break down her choices. What she did provide, however, was the other three picks: Terminator 2, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and the 1950s comedy Auntie Mame. Clearly, for an actor with such a broad and eclectic repertoire of roles, their diversity in skill is matched by that of their movie choices.
Johansson’s choice of Groundhog Day illustrates her admiration and respect for Murray’s work beyond their shared project and underscores her appreciation for movies that cleverly use comedy to explore deeper themes. As seen by her own performance in Asteroid City, which signifies the first but hopefully not last collaboration with Anderson, comedy is at its best when something more profound is layered underneath it.
