Opinion: Murray’s performance enlivens ‘Broken Flowers’

“Night on Earth,” “Down by Law,” “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai” are very different stories but have Jarmusch’s mark indelibly stamped upon them. Even “Year of the Horse,” featuring Neil Young and Crazy Horse, is off the main road traveled by most directors making musical documentaries.

With his latest film (which he wrote as well as directed) Jarmusch seemed poised to hit the mainstream.

“Broken Flowers” not only has a bankable cast – Bill Murray, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton – but also was backed by a large national advertising campaign, which geared up well before the film’s initial release date.

When it didn’t show up in the Springfield market after a couple of months, it seemed safe to assume that Jarmusch hadn’t gone “typical” on us. He hasn’t.

“Broken Flowers” isn’t a typical film, whether judged by Hollywood standards or the director’s previous work.

Bill Murray’s portrayal of Don Johnston, the film’s central character, is at times more lethargic than indicative of the Lothario he indeed is.

His very name (close to Don Juan or tongue-in-cheek to Don Johnson) – as well as the film he’s watching in the opening scenes – speaks understated volumes.

As “Broken Flowers” opens, Don’s girlfriend is reciting the litany of reasons she’s leaving him. Don can’t get up off the couch to argue, fight or even beg her to stay.

He can’t even pick up a glass of wine.

These scenes are merely the prologue.

Johnston’s epic journey begins after he receives a mysterious letter. Arriving in a pink envelope, the note tells Don that he has a son who is now 19.

It’s been written by the boy’s mother. She doesn’t bother signing her name, and there’s no return address.

After mulling over the five possible mothers-who-might-have-been, Don enlists the help of his Google-savvy neighbor, Winston. They find where four of the women currently reside and where one is buried.

What follows is, however subdued, a journey of proportions rivaling those chronicled by Homer.

Murray’s Johnston never so much as lets us know if he really cares about why he’s making the trip. He merely does so because he must.

The bevy of past loves he soon encounters is a fabulous bunch.

Laura (Sharon Stone) is a widow with a young daughter, Lolita. Neither mother nor child is aware of the implications of that name.

Dora (Francis Conroy) is half of a man-and-wife Realtor team who seems devoid of any real joy in the present.

Jessica Lange’s character, Carmen, is a true Jarmusch original. She’s a former lawyer, now an animal psychic. She lets people know what their pets are thinking and guides all parties concerned.

Finally there’s Penny, played by Tilda Swinton. Penny is a hard-core biker gal who wants nothing to do with Don or their past.

The final scenes feature Murray and young actor Mark Webber, playing a kid who is just the right age to be Don’s son.

The boy is on the road. Don offers to buy him some food. There is much discomfort in the kid’s reaction until Don assures him he’s not trying to “pick him up.”

The interplay between the two characters suggests something that we, and maybe even Don, were never completely convinced existed. And in the end we still may not be.

Jarmusch’s direction paints a sense of (not necessarily depressing) melancholy throughout the film.

That mood is elevated by Murray’s performance. It rivals his most serious – and one of his finest – performances: Bob Harris in Sofia Coppola’s brilliant love story, “Lost in Translation.”

“Broken Flowers” is a great film, one that deserves more than a single viewing.

There are many more things revealed than are seen at first glance.

Now playing live

On the live theater front, a play written and directed by Springfield’s own Chip Burns is playing at Stained Glass Theater in Ozark.

While “Miracle at Jasper City” is a Western set in 1889, featuring gunfights, outlaws and assorted ne’er-do-wells, it also has a religious message that becomes very powerful by the conclusion.

Burns’ premiere as a playwright/director is to be commended. His heart is unmistakably on his sleeve, and his message is a pure one.

“Pure” and “simple” are often recited together. Many times it’s difficult for we mere humans to understand the seemingly simple and obviously pure.

“Miracle at Jasper City” runs through Oct. 22. Call (417) 581-9192 for details.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.