Bill Murray is seemingly on the verge of being canonized for his role as the premier sad comic in Hollywood. This time, the unlikely sainthood claims stem from his portrayal of a crusty, hard-drinking war veteran whose only brief pleasure in life seems to come from time spent with a stripper (Naomi Watts), until a single mother (Melissa McCarthy) moves next door to him and commissions him to watch over her young son (Jaeden Lieberher), which he does as only he can. Writer-director Theodore Melfi (whose only other feature outing Winding Roads back in 1999) helps Murray make yet another strong case for elevation above all the other mere mortal comics toiling away in his shadow. (Opens Friday) (PG-13) Not screened in time for review
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2014.