Great Character: Bob Harris (“Lost in Translation”)

The Great Character theme for the month: Bill Murray. Today: Bob Harris from Lost in Translation, written Sofia Coppola.

Until Bill Murray took on the roll of the mid-life crisis actor Bob Harris in cutting-edge screenwriter/director Sofia Coppola’s Tokyo-based Lost in Translation, he had yet to land on the radar of the Academy Award committee. Murray’s Oscar nomination for playing the ready-to-hit-the-reset-button Lost in Translation lead was also surrounded by award wins from the likes of the Golden Globes, BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Awards. Film critic associations from the National Society, South Eastern, New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Washington DC, Utah and Iowa also followed suit with prizes for Mr. Murray’s performance. But what exactly made this particular role, a character Sofia Coppola wrote specifically for Bill Murray even prior to his involvement, become so praise-worthy in comparison to his previous portrayals?

Lost in Translation from IMDB:

A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.

With Bill Murray being viewed and cast as primarily a comedic actor, the unfortunate bias against comedy during film award season has made grabbing an Oscar trophy difficult despite well received roles in: Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and Rushmore. But with the Lost in Translation comedy draped in drama, the coveted Academy Award nomination was bestowed upon Bill Murray for his characteristic charisma that was also coupled with emotional depth.

For a movie that primarily takes place in one Japanese hotel, Sofia Coppola manages to give Bill Murray plenty of interpersonal translations to feel lost about. His aging action star Bob Harris must cope with the very inevitable Hollywood reality — ageism. There is also Bob’s guilt trip surrounding the fact that working these whiskey ads is in no way fulfilling and just for the money.

BOB HARRIS: You want more mysterious? I’ll just try and think, “Where the hell’s the whiskey?”

Bob is forced to feel even more disconnected from his advertisement work due to his literal loss of translation when his Japanese translator seems to be reducing lengthy intense instructions from his director down to not even enough words to form an average sentence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gjiQwh1p6M

Let’s not forget the brutal reality that Bob Harris feels about as much love from his family back home as he would to the random fellow travelers in the hotel bar. At least some of these star struck onlookers are actually happy to converse with him.

BOB HARRIS: Taking a break from my wife, forgetting my son’s birthday. And, uh, getting paid two million dollars to endorse a whiskey when I could be doing a play somewhere.

While facing 25 years of marriage that has clearly plateaued into ongoing irritation, it is ironic that his equally lost and married college grad admirer Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) has probably been alive for fewer years than the length of his marital fiasco. But her innocent, non-judgmental demeanor, inquisitive conversation and effortless beauty recharge Bob’s worn and battered batteries. Is he willing to risk the quarter century emotional, mental, physical and financial investment in his wife for some long distance flirting? His fashion sense even finds itself lost in the forest of youth adaptation with an unsuccessful selection of a fire orange camouflage t-shirt.

Several of the truly wonderful moments that Lost in Translation offers Murray to ride the wave on occur courtesy of him attempting to remain neutral as his and Charlotte’s intimate interactions float closer to a bedroom scenario. Is the age difference the only obstacle making Bob Harris reluctant to cheat on his wife? Bob’s classic Karaoke scene turns Bryan Ferry’s 1982 hit “More Than This” into practically a passive confession of his affection for Charlotte, as she appears receptive to the momentary innuendos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaqbcYGTfLg

As the “What if” desires stir up between Charlotte and Bob, he attempts to stay in his lane by being Charlotte’s experienced unofficial marital counselor, which seems to only heat up the underlying steam between them even further.

BOB HARRIS: Your life, as you know it… is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk… and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life.

Bob ultimately proves that age was apparently the main factor when he breaks his wedding vows anyway by having a sexy sleepover with a hotel bar singer whom is a little closer in age. After finding out, Charlotte feels hurt and deserted by not just her invisible husband, but now also by her older man fantasy.

BOB HARRIS: Enjoy my jacket, which you stole from me.

Bob finds himself lost in the translation of Charlotte’s body language that he seems to have misread as just being within the “friend zone.” During their last verbal exchange, Bob even makes the members of the audience feel lost in translation with the inaudible secret he whispers into Charlotte’s ear, leaving us the opportunity to imagine what his future has in store in the passion department.

For his career conflicts, his domestic dilemmas and his need for an emotional interpreter — Bob Harris is one truly GREAT CHARACTER in Bill Murray’s highly entertaining filmography.

Thank you, Jason, for this post. Please join us in comments to discuss Lost in Translation.

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