St. Vincent (2014)

A young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door.

Director:

Theodore Melfi

Writer:

Theodore Melfi (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Vincent
Melissa McCarthy	...	Maggie
Naomi Watts	...	Daka
Chris O'Dowd	...	Brother Geraghty
Terrence Howard	...	Zucko
Jaeden Martell	...	Oliver (as Jaeden Lieberher)
Kimberly Quinn	...	Nurse Ana
Lenny Venito	...	Coach Mitchell
Nate Corddry	...	Terry, the Banker
Dario Barosso	...	Ocinski
Donna Mitchell	...	Sandy
Ann Dowd	...	Shirley, Sunnyside Administrator
Scott Adsit	...	David
Reg E. Cathey	...	Gus
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Linda

Storyline

Vincent is an old Vietnam vet whose stubbornly hedonistic ways have left him without money or a future. Things change when his new next-door neighbor's son, Oliver, needs a babysitter and Vince is willing enough for a fee. From that self-serving act, an unexpected friendship forms as Vincent and Oliver find so much of each other's needs through each other. As Vincent mentors Oliver in street survival and other worldly ways, Oliver begins to see more in the old man than just his foibles. When life takes a turn for the worse for Vincent, both them find the best in each other than no one around them suspects.

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Plot Keywords:

stroke recovery | next door neighbor | grumpy old man | divorced parents | horse race | 

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Taglines:

With neighbours like these, who needs family?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

M

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jaeden Martell's theatrical film debut.

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Goofs

When Vin and Oliver are riding in Vin's car after Oliver got beat up by the bullies by the payphone, one shot shows a low evening sun glowing behind them. However, the rest of the scenes from that same day show bright, overhead, afternoon sunlight.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Vincent: So this Irish guy knocks on this lady's door and says, you know, "Have you got any, uh... Any, uh... work for me?" And she says, "Um, well, you now, as a matter of fact, you could paint the porch." 'Bout two hours later, the guy comes back and says, "I've finished, ma'am, but just for your information, it's not a porch, it's a BMW."
[bar patrons stunned]

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Crazy Credits

The credits play over a scene with Vincent trying to have a cigarette in his backyard and then later watering the lawn.

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Connections

Features E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Soundtracks

I Fought the Law
Written by Sonny Curtis
Performed by Green Day
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

He's holy, but not wholly. He's funny for sure..

St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray as Vincent, asks us to define the qualities of a saint, while we enjoy the decidedly unsaintly Vincent. He defines curmudgeon, a cranky old misanthrope unhappy with his life and ready to dress down practically anyone who talks to him. The film itself is an amusing character study with unanticipated turns.

But don't think you can write the script because Vincent and the motley crew of his life have surprises that do not fit the usual bitter old guy formula. The saving grace is the honesty Murray invests in the role, which requires him also to display caring characteristics not immediately apparent. That we are probably spying into the eccentric character of Bill Murray through Vincent is an added treat.

The catalyst for the clichéd curmudgeon turnaround is a new pre-teen next door neighbor, Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), who is thrust on Vincent for after school babysitting by med-tech mom, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy). While the bonding is to be expected, Vincent and Oliver do a long dance before any saintly traits emerge. Yet Oliver learns what saints don't ordinarily do, like fight and gamble. As we learn, those aren't necessarily negatives.

Although Naomi Watts' Russian hooker is a bit over the top in beauty and heart of gold categories, she manages to project a simple love for Vincent, a symbol for everyone who loves Vincent even as rough as he is. Although Vincent could be loved for only his Vietnam experience, he does low-key, un-Mother -Teresa-like acts of kindness that could qualify him for sainthood.

That's the important theme of this tragicomedy: Being good, loved, and saintly are within the grasp of the most common among us, implying that imperfection is a constant of being human and maybe a bigger credential than piety when that sinfulness is transformed into good deeds.

St. Vincent is an entertaining film with a well-worn message, but Bill Murray, in his finest role since Lost in Translation, transforms it into holiness.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

30 October 2014 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

St. Vincent

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$109,878, 12 October 2014

Gross USA:

$44,137,712

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$54,837,234

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chernin Entertainment, Crescendo Productions, Goldenlight Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1