As a person whose dad frequently gets compared to Bill Murray, I often wonder exactly what it would be like to have Bill Murray as a dad. Thanks to this On The Rocks trailer, I can get a taste of that; however, this Bill Murray character happens to be a larger-than-life playboy father. So, it’s not an ideal situation, but Rashida Jones’ character makes the best of it, especially because her husband, portrayed by Marlon Wayans, might be a playboy, too.
A24 joins up with Apple TV+ for this Sofia Coppola-directed movie, in which a young mother in New York worries that her husband’s having an affair. It’s up to dad to help her sniff out the truth, and although this setup might sound stressful, what results is a comical adventure that brings dad and daughter to an understanding about their own relationship. If this sounds reminiscent of Lost In Translation (and I don’t mean that in a skeevy way, given that Scarlett Johansson’s character was much younger than Murray’s aging actor), then of course that makes sense. However, Murray is trading Suntory whisky for martinis in this love letter to New York.
From the synopsis:
Laura (Rashida Jones) thinks she’s happily hitched, but when her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) starts logging late hours at the office with a new co-worker, Laura begins to fear the worst. She turns to the one man she suspects may have insight: her charming, impulsive father Felix (Bill Murray), who insists they investigate the situation. As the two begin prowling New York at night, careening from uptown parties to downtown hotspots, they discover at the heart of their journey lies their own relationship.
On The Rocks arrives on Apple TV+ (and select theaters) in October 2020.
