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arts entertainmentMovies

So Bill Murray has these 10 great movies going for him. Which is nice.

With Rock the Kasbah rocking and rolling into theaters this weekend, we figured it was high time to take a deeper look at Bill Murray. Proven to be one of the funniest and most versatile actors of his generation, Murray is an Academy Award nominee and star of some of the most iconic comedic films in American cinematic history.

Here are Bill Murray's 10 greatest hits:

Rushmore

A frequent collaborator with Wes Anderson, Bill Murray has comic sensibilities that mesh well with Wes Anderson's eccentric style of filmmaking. The coming-of-age story, which follows Jason Schwartzman's Max Fischer, sees Murray in a supporting role as Fischer's mentor. It's a great ensemble piece, and Murray works well as part of the puzzle, perfectly delivering Anderson's strange yet sometimes profound dialogue.

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Lost In Translation

Though he's of course famed for his comedic work, Murray has a surprising affinity for drama, which is seen best in Sofia Coppola's romantic story Lost in Translation. Murray is excellent as Bob Harris, a famed movie star who takes up an unlikely relationship with a younger woman he meets in Tokyo. For his subtle work here, Murray earned his only Academy Award nomination so far, for best actor.

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The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

Another Wes Anderson collaboration, The Life Aquatic sees Murray at the helm of the film as the oceanographer Steve Zissou, who rallies his estranged family to hunt down the possibly nonexistent shark that killed his best friend. As with many of his films, Murray's commitment and seriousness to a role so ridiculous adds more comedy to the situation. Though it has a massive cast including Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Cate Blanchette, and Jeff Goldblum, the film is Murray's time to shine, he delivers.

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Stripes

Murray often works well at creating eccentric and ridiculous characters, and few have been as effective as in Stripes. Once again paired with director Ivan Reitman, with whom he worked on Meatballs, Murray and Harold Ramis star as two out-of-luck workmen who join the U.S. Army. Not only is Stripes a clever satire of the military and how it's perceived, but it's also wildly unpredictable and benefits from Murray's over-the-top antics.

Caddyshack

One of the best ensemble comedies of all time, Caddyshack is an endlessly rewatachable comedy. Murray usually benefits from working with strong supporting casts, and Caddyshack has a wealth of talent in Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, and Michael O'Keefe. The witty, irreverent comedy about an exclusive golf club with a serious gopher problem is a classic, and Murray's scene-stealing role is the film's highlight.

Ed Wood

Ed Wood is a cunning and clever Hollywood satire of the world's worst film director. While Johnny Depp's titular role is well known (for good reason,) it's Murray who is unforgettable as Bunny Breckinridge, the pseudo-actor who stars in Wood's ill-fated Plan 9 From Outer Space and who takes up an incredibly odd relationship with the director.

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The Monuments Men

The Monuments may suffer from slow pacing at the start, but once the adventure gets going, the plot picks up and the performances shine. Much of the hype behind The Monuments Men lay in its ensemble cast, which included George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett and John Goodman. While his screentime is limited compared with some of those stars, Murray gives an understated and touching performance as a man attempting to protect some of humankind's greatest achievements.

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What About Bob?

A sign of a great actor is one who can take a role that could've easily been a complete failure, and makes it charming and unforgettable. Murray does this in What About Bob, the story of the schizophrenic Bob Wiley who tracks down his consulting psychiatrist Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss). This story could have taken a turn into obnoxious or unfunny territory, but Murray's take on the character, and his relationship with Dreyfuss, makes it one of his best performances.

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters tried to combine comedy, action, sci-fi, and fantasy into one -- and succeed in all. Though the plot about those who track down ghosts is wholly original, it's the characters, specifically Bill Murray's Peter Venkman, that makes the film stand the test of time. Murray is funny as a comic character, relatable as a leading man, and effortlessly charming within all the strange places that the film goes.

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Groundhog Day

A hilarious film about life and relationships that uses fantastical elements to tell a story of redemption, Groundhog Day stands as Murray's crowning work as a performer. His role as the narcissistic weatherman Phil is iconic not just because of the comedy in each situation, but because the audience can invest in his journey as a character and gradual acceptance of his surroundings. It's an endlessly charming, funny and heartfelt story that gives you everything you want in a great Bill Murray role.