Friday, March 29, 2024

Box Office: “St. Vincent,” Bill Murray Stealth Comedy, Crosses $40 Mil Line

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Well, well. Yes, “Mockingjay” is number 1 again. Who cares? The big news is that “St. Vincent” will cross the $40 million line this weekend. Bill Murray’s beautiful performance leads a big cast including Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts, through a very likeable, smart comedy.

When we saw this in Toronto, I had plenty of predictions of Murray for an Oscar, etc. Snark bloggers (‘the pajama people,” a friend of mine calls them) tried to wreck it. But “St. Vincent” is very appealing, and obviously audiences love it. I don’t see why Theodore Melfi’s sweet, sweet film won’t get a Golden Globe in comedy/musical. It’s also right on the for SAG Best Ensemble.

Don’t count Bill Murray out either. Right now the Oscar race for Best Actor is volatile. The two Brits– Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne– are in. David Oyelowo has to be third, for “Selma.” Fourth place could be Steve Carell, so good in “Foxcatcher.” And then? Michael Keaton? Maybe. Bradley Cooper is exceptional in “American Sniper.” And then there’s Murray. He has a lot of good will, and box office numbers on his side.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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