Sofia Coppola’s latest film, the delightful, low-key On the Rocks, is ostensibly about a marriage that is, as the title suggests, on the verge of collapse. Really, though, it’s about a woman who no longer feels in control of her own life and the father who both loves her and selfishly stokes her fears. That father and daughter are played by Bill Murray and Rashida Jones makes all the difference as both actors' natural charisma and enjoyably familiar personas ensure this muted tale of mid-life ennui never feels cynical. Instead, the pair are gently funny and a pleasure to spend time with.
The movie begins with a declaration. In voice-over, Murray’s Felix tells a younger version of Jones’ character, Laura, “You’re mine until you get married, then you’re still mine.” It then moves forward in time to Laura’s wedding to Dean (Marlon Wayans) as the two glance at each other shyly and then excitedly, hopefully run from the ceremony hand in hand. The movie moves forward again to Laura’s current reality as a wife and mother in New York City. Dean has started some sort of business that keeps him at the office or traveling almost constantly, leaving Laura to care for their two young daughters. Meanwhile, Laura’s work life is in a rut too. An author with a book deadline looming, she’s nursing a case of writer’s block she can’t seem to overcome.
Given the challenges she’s facing, it’s not exactly a surprise when Laura starts to wonder whether there could be more than work going on between Dean and his pretty co-worker, Fiona (Jessica Henwick). The person she shares her suspicions with is Felix, a wealthy, retired art dealer and inveterate cad who seems to live by the philosophy a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet. Felix is instantly convinced Dean is cheating because that’s what he would do (and did, breaking up his marriage to Laura’s mother when Laura was a child). And he has a number of silly but seemingly harmless theories about the differences between men and women that back up his assertion (and explain away his own bad behavior). Felix encourages Laura to surreptitiously check up on Dean’s activities against her own better judgment, and then continues to play on her concerns until he finally convinces her to tail Dean around the city with him.
It’s easy to wonder how much of the story reflects Coppola’s relationship with her own famous father, and this is enhanced by her casting of Jones, another daughter of a larger-than-life father. Yet, the relationship between Felix and Laura feels specific in a way that makes that kind of speculation beside the point. In other actors’ hands, Laura might come across as pathetic and Felix might seem insufferable. Yet, Jones makes Laura’s confusion and catatonia sympathetic and her desire to go along for the ride with her more confident, more exciting father understandable. Meanwhile, Murray makes Felix's verve for life magnetic. His flaws and mistakes are well known, but there’s nothing hard or edgy about him, even as he takes advantage of Laura's uncertainty in order to spend more time with her.
And when it comes down to it, it’s undeniably fun to be along for the ride with Felix, even if, like Laura, we know he’s making some seriously questionable moves. This is Bill Murray after all, and his makes Felix’s antics charming and inviting. So while Jones carries the movie, it’s Murray who brings it to life, giving it a relaxed, amusing vibe that keeps the story ambling along.
This isn’t a grand narrative that sheds light on the relationships between fathers and daughters in general, and despite the scenario that serves as the catalyst for the story, Coppola has no interest in bombastic revelations or over-the-top emotions. Instead, On the Rocks depicts a point in life many of us go through, when routine and the needs of others get the better of us, and ultimately showcases the very different ways a particular father and daughter choose to handle them. The film is small but precise, mild but funny and satisfyingly entertaining.
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, On the Rocks stars Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, Jenny Slate and Jessica Henwick. It is currently in theaters and premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, Oct. 23.