Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Max Pomeranc plays Josh Waitzkin, a boy who loves chess but not at the expense of his own decency. The film is about competition — a subject handled with insight and care — kids dealing with adult emotions and adults behaving like kids.

d: Steven Zaillian | imdb.com | Wanna play? | Josh Waitzkin

Mad Dog and Glory (1993)

Tailored with slicked-back hair, Bill Murray plays a mob boss with a wink — a satire of Robert De Niro (an everyday cop) right in front of him. Both play the straight man in this dark comedy and David Caruso is excellent as a cop before “NYPD Blue.”

d: John McNaughton | imdb.com | trailer | David Caruso

Groundhog Day (1993)

As a weather man living the same day over and over, Bill Murray deftly portrays the five stages of grief, balancing the comedy and existentialism in every scene — sometimes with a single look. It’s that look — the Murray look — that makes him so compelling.

d: Harold Ramis | imdb.com | trailer | I’m a god. | Ned Ryerson!
Critics’ Choice | Great Performances | “Comedy First”