Paying very close attention to current events these days is a lugubrious chore. Keeping up on trending terms, then seeing why they’re trending, is also currently a very depressing experience.
We really need something and/or someone to step in and remind us all what is actually good about American life. Enter “The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From A Mythical Man.”
It’s a recently released documentary film by Tommy Avallone, and it depicts his journey to find a deeper meaning in Murray’s numerous random adventures with everyday people in real life.
Perhaps you’ve heard about these tales, Bill Murray just randomly appears in unexpected situations with regular people, and improvised joy then ensues.
As Murray tells them “nobody will believe you,” and when we hear the recap of these anecdotes, it always sounds more like urban legend than reality.
The Bill Murray Stories made its Midwest premier at Cinepocalypse a couple weeks ago at the Music Box Theatre, and it drew rave reviews. This film deserves all the praise it receives and more.
It utilizes rare and never-before seen footage of the comedic icon mysteriously appearing, and then just as mysteriously disappearing from events that make us wonder what these chance encounters are all about.
While there are numerous Bill Murray stories out there, some of the best include his singing karaoke late at night with strangers, crashing a kickball game in the middle of the afternoon, bartending at a dive bar after South by Southwest in Austin, becoming part of an engagement photo shoot in Charleston, posing as part of a wedding party, and jamming with the band at a small house party.
However, the best of all might just be his reading poetry to construction workers at their project site. As you watch this movie, you begin to believe that Bill Murray has a one-of-a-kind perspective on the concept of celebrity.
He’s aware that his very presence, as a celebrity/legendary comedic actor, makes the day/week/month/year for the people he encounters.
It’s an act of extreme benevolence, as Murray realizes all the good that he can do for ordinary people, and nothing is ever expected in return. It conveys contentment, security and self-satisfaction, as Murray isn’t trying to spend time with people who can “do something for him” in Hollywood.
Instead he’d rather do something for them, and he doesn’t even need to put it in a lot of effort to do so. He’s just himself, living his life, having fun, doing what he wants to do.
The real life Bill Murray stories have even been alluded to in a few of his movies, and the viewer can’t help but wonder what is this all about? What truly matters here?
It’s really up to you to decide, and everyone will have their own unique interpretation. Avallone, via clips from several of Murray’s films, shows us how finding oneself, and then evolving past that self-clarity, is a re-occurring theme in Murray movies. Perhaps that’s the theme in the Bill Murray stories as well?
Only Murray knows for sure. At the very least, the Bill Murray stories show us that we should all live in the moment a little bit more, and remember the simple, but pleasurable things in life.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud and YouTube. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to any and all of his.