The Razor's Edge (1984 film)

The Razor's Edge is a 1984 romantic drama film about an American army ambulance driver/medic traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life.
 * Directed by John Byrum. Written by John Byrum and Bill Murray, based upon the novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham.

The story of one man's search for himself. (tagline)

Larry Darrell

 * [of the man who just died saving his life] He was a slob. Did you ever see him eat? Starving children could fill their bellies on the food that ended up in his beard and on his clothes. Dogs would gather to watch him eat. I've never understood gluttony, but I hate it. I hated that about you. He enjoyed disgusting people, being disgusting, the thrill of offending people and making them uncomfortable. It was despicable. You will not be missed.
 * It's very easy to love someone like you.
 * To Sophie
 * This isn't the old Mister Sunshine.
 * It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain.
 * [after Sophie's murder] When Piedmont died, I had to pay him back for my life. I found out there's another debt to pay — for the privilege of being alive. I thought Sophie was my reward for trying to live a good life. Uh uh. There is no payoff — not now.

Other

 * Tibetan Monk: The pathway to salvation is as narrow and as difficult to walk as a razor's edge.
 * Mackenzie: I never lend books to coal miners.

Quotes about The Razor's Edge

 * I don't know what my fans are going to think. It's definitely not what they're used to from me.
 * Bill Murray, in Stills Magazine (1984)
 * I think The Razor's Edge is a pretty good movie. But at the time, it was just as reviled as any other comedian doing a serious thing now. Like The Majestic [with Jim Carrey], movies where comedians go straight, people don't like them. It angers people, like you're taking something away from them. That's the response I got. I thought, "Well, aren't we all bigger than that?" I wasn't shocked by it, but I thought that the professional critics would be able to say, "OK, we shouldn't rule this out, because the guy normally does other stuff." Unless it's really despicable, then you have to just jump with both feet on the neck.
 * Bill Murray, in Rolling Stone Issue 903 (22 August 2002)

Tagline

 * The story of one man's search for himself.

Cast

 * Bill Murray - Larry Darrell
 * Theresa Russell - Sophie MacDonald
 * Catherine Hicks - Isabel Bradley
 * Denholm Elliott - Elliott Templeton
 * James Keach - Gray Maturin
 * Peter Vaughan - Mackenzie
 * Brian Doyle-Murray - Piedmont