Are you the type of individual who normally judges someone at face value? Normally I’m not these days, but when I think of Bill Murray as an actor, my first thoughts usually aren’t of someone who takes on an overly dramatic role in a movie. Oddly enough, that’s exactly the type of part he played in his latest venture, “St. Vincent”, which proved to be quite a rewarding departure from all the other iconic characters he’s played over the years. And ironically, this movie became a great reminder of why I should never judge someone at face value, because often there’s so much more depth hiding beneath every person’s surface.
My truth is that I used to judge most people at face value for years instead of looking for any depth beneath their surface. In Bill Murray’s case, I always pegged him as a hysterically humorous actor and not much more because of the roles he frequently played in movies such as Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, What About Bob, and Caddyshack, the first three of which are actually personal favorites. But like most actors and actresses attempt to do as their careers evolve, Murray slowly began taking on slightly more serious parts over the years. Maybe all of them have been leading up to his role in St. Vincent, as it’s this movie that truly portrays his depth is far deeper than just a comedian on screen, much like Tom Hanks and Robin Williams were able to demonstrate along the way in their own acting careers.
In Murray’s latest film, he plays a man named Vincent who by all appearances is a completely disheveled, selfish, conniving drunkard and nothing more. And that’s precisely what his new neighbors (Maggie, played by Melissa McCarthy, and Oliver, played by Jaeden Lieberher) see right off the bat when their moving company accidentally damages Vincent’s old convertible upon arrival. We soon learn after this that Maggie has to work long hours to support her son, which in turn leaves Oliver to figure out life much on his own. As fate normally seems to intertwine two people together who are meant to learn lessons from each other, Oliver is brought into Vincent’s life the very next day when a bully at school ends up stealing some of his possessions, which included the keys to his home. Forced to babysit someone who’s obviously not a baby at all, Vincent does his most dysfunctional best to take care of Oliver until his mother can come home from work. From the very moment Oliver walks into Vincent’s home that afternoon, he does as many children would regularly do. He starts looking for the best in Vincent regardless of the first impression he made the prior day. And while Maggie and the rest of the world throughout most of the movie fail to see Vincent for anything more than what he shows at face value, Oliver is the only one who takes the time to see the gold that truly lies beneath Vincent’s very surface.
Being in recovery from addiction, I frequently have come across a wide variety of personalities, some very much like Vincent himself. But through my spiritual work, I’ve come to embrace the childlike side of me enough so that I can look at others just like Oliver was able to do with Vincent in this film. This in turn has helped me to look beneath the surface time and time again with various individuals who are often passed over and ignored because of how they usually present themselves at face value. In every case when I have, I’ve always found the treasure of one’s heart and soul present in some fashion or another.
The real irony here though is that at one point in time, I was actually no different than Vincent in how the rest of the world perceived me. I was a selfish, self-centered, dry drunk who did everything possible to keep everyone as far away as I could from my heart. But God always saw fit to bring individuals with the personality of Oliver into my life exactly when I needed it, to show me the gold that was waiting to be seen just beneath my own surface.
So I want to offer my sincere gratitude to Bill Murray for starring in the movie St. Vincent, as he reminded me not once, but twice on why I should always look beneath the surface and never take anyone at face value. Not only did he show his incredible aptitude to handle an overly dramatic role such as this, his role as Vincent clearly demonstrated the depth that’s usually hiding beneath every person’s surface, including my own…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
This has to be the turning point Melissa McCarthy’s acting career. She played the part brilliantly and for once did not bash herself to make the audience laugh. I love her acting ability and finally she has her shining moment. Bravo! Bill Murray is such a talented actor and he to played his role brilliantly. I was blind sighted by my own thoughts of who I thought his character was and I had to take a step back and rethink all my negative thoughts too. They say never judge a book by its cover and I truly believe this. I still have work to do on my own character defects but I can say that my higher power again showed me signs of where I need to improve myself. Kudos, Bill!
Excellent insight Chris. I think you are onto something here… Keep it up!
I’ve not seen the movie – but this is an archetype (think “Secondhand Lions” and “The Sandlot” – the relative or neighbor who is not what one would think – both more, and (occasionally) less.
I have been on both sides of the pre-judging continuum – I have been judged, and I have been the one judging. *My* dangerous-ground is in looking for the best in people (and, at times, expecting the best from people) who, in fact, have no “best.” I have found myself waiting for them to rise up to my expectations (always a dangerous word, for me), and being disappointed quite frequently.
But, to quote “Secondhand Lions,” there are some things I need to believe are true – even if they aren’t *actually* true. So I keep looking for the best in folks – to make sure I don’t miss people like Murray’s character in “St Vincent.” And when I am disappointed, I remind myself that I’d rather be disappointed than be a bitter, cynical old man like so many I see. There is goodness in the world; there is goodness in people, even in the most unlikely ones. This is part of my credo – as the old radio-show title says, “This, I Believe.”
Steve, I completely understand. One thing that I do know is that even if the person has redeeming qualities, sometimes the toxicity of them on the surface still prevents a person from getting close to them, which is like what I just went through here with someone I was friends with in recovery.