What to Stream: Bill Murray, as an Aging Lothario, in the Comedy-Drama 'Broken Flowers'

Broken Flowers (2005) Netflix, Crackle, Amazon Instant

The Basics: After discovering that he may be a dad, a retired ladies’ man revisits some of his old flames to learn more about the son he never knew he had. 
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Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Bill Murray and Jim Jarmusch were the walking definitions of New York Cool — Big Apple iconoclasts who pursued their own distinct creative visions to the delight (and occasional befuddlement) of moviegoers. While it seems likely that they would have run into each other back in the day, the duo didn’t collaborate until two decades after they had been replaced by a new crop of self-styled Cool Kids. The partnership began when Murray shot a brief role in Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology film, Coffee and Cigarettes, right around the time that he was preparing to make his Oscar run in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.

Two years later, they re-teamed for their first feature, which — given their youthful reputations — could have been the cinematic equivalent of the hippest old guy at the party. Instead, Broken Flowers is one of the most grounded and nakedly emotional movies either of them has ever made. It’s a story of missed opportunities and past regrets, that gives Murray the opportunity to play off an ensemble of terrific character actresses, including Julie Delpy, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Tilda Swinton and, yes, Sharon Stone (above). Murray himself has gone on record describing Broken Flowers as one of his favorite films, even remarking in a Reddit AMA that he seriously considered retiring after shooting wrapped, certain he’d never be able to top the experience.

While the narrative unfolds episodically, with our former Don Juan, Don Johnston, dropping in on each of his exes in their current lives — often with disastrous results — there’s a cumulative power to the movie that’s unleashed in its ambiguous final scene, where Murray finally finds the phantom boy he’s been chasing. Or does he? It’s a question that’s even more fascinating to contemplate than what he whispered into Scarlett Johansson’s ear at the end of Lost in Translation.    

Photo: Associated Press