You know that specific feeling when a trailer drops and you just know the movie is going to be a sleeper hit? That’s exactly what happened back in 2014 when the St Vincent film trailer first hit the internet. Honestly, it didn’t look like some world-changing cinematic masterpiece. It looked like Bill Murray being, well, Bill Murray. But there was something tucked into those two and a half minutes—a sort of grit mixed with a weirdly earnest heart—that made people sit up and pay attention.
It’s been over a decade. Still, people go back to that clip. Why?
The St Vincent Film Trailer and the Art of the Bill Murray Grump
Marketing a dramedy is notoriously hard. If you lean too hard into the jokes, the audience feels betrayed when the character gets cancer or loses their house in the second act. If you make it too sad, nobody buys a ticket. The St Vincent film trailer threaded that needle by leaning heavily on Murray’s character, Vincent MacKenna.
We see him immediately: messy house, drinking a highball, and yelling at a moving truck. It’s classic. He’s a "war veteran" who spends his days at the horse track and his nights with a pregnant Russian sex worker played by Naomi Watts. It sounds dark on paper. Yet, the trailer frames it with this jangly, upbeat indie soundtrack that tells you, "Hey, it’s okay to laugh at this disaster of a man."
Why the kid mattered
Enter Jaeden Martell (then Lieberher). The dynamic between a cynical old man and a skinny, over-matched kid is a trope as old as time. Think Up. Think Bad Santa. But the trailer sold their chemistry as something more authentic. When Vincent tells the kid, Oliver, how to defend himself by hitting someone in the nose, it isn't portrayed as "precious." It's portrayed as a survival tactic for a kid whose parents are getting a messy divorce.
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Melissa McCarthy’s Pivot was the Secret Weapon
People forget how big a deal this was for Melissa McCarthy at the time. She was coming off a string of high-energy, physical comedies like Bridesmaids and The Heat. The St Vincent film trailer showed her in a different light—playing the "straight man," the exhausted single mom just trying to keep her head above water.
Seeing her interact with Murray provided a groundedness that the movie desperately needed. Without her, Vincent is just a cartoon of a mean old man. With her, he’s a problematic neighbor who happens to be the only person available to babysit.
The trailer highlights this tension perfectly. It doesn't hide the fact that she’s hesitant to leave her son with a man who takes him to a strip club. It embraces the mess. Honestly, that’s why it resonated. Life is messy.
The "Bob Dylan" Moment
If there is one thing everyone remembers from the marketing of this film, it’s the closing shot of the trailer (and the film). Bill Murray is sitting in a lawn chair. He’s wearing cheap sunglasses. He’s got a Walkman on. He’s singing—badly—to Bob Dylan’s "Shelter from the Storm."
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It’s a long take.
It’s simple.
It captures the entire essence of the movie in about forty-five seconds. It tells the viewer that this man is a wreck, but he’s a wreck with a soul. Most trailers try to hide the slow moments, but the St Vincent film trailer used that Dylan cover as its emotional anchor. It worked.
Why the Trailer Might Have Been Slightly Misleading
Now, let’s be real for a second. Trailers are sales pitches. The St Vincent film trailer definitely pitched a "feel-good" movie. While the film is ultimately moving, it’s also a lot darker than the marketing suggested.
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- The gambling debts are more stressful in the movie.
- The health issues Vincent faces are depicted with more harsh realism.
- Naomi Watts’ character, Daka, is far more than just "the funny prostitute," providing a look at the struggles of immigrant workers.
Some critics at the time, including those from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, pointed out that the movie leans into sentimentality in the final act—specifically the "Saints among us" school assembly—which the trailer leans into heavily. If you hate "tear-jerker" endings, the trailer might have been a warning sign. But for the general public, it was an invitation.
Behind the Scenes: Ted Melfi’s Vision
Director Theodore Melfi actually had a hell of a time getting this movie made. He supposedly spent weeks trying to track down Bill Murray, who famously doesn't have an agent and only uses a 1-800 number for pitches. Melfi had to leave messages and hope for the best.
When you watch the St Vincent film trailer now, you're seeing the result of that persistence. Melfi knew that if he could get Murray to play a version of himself—the grumpy-yet-lovable icon—the film would find an audience. He was right. The film went on to gross over $54 million on a relatively small budget.
Key Takeaways for Rewatching
If you’re going back to watch the trailer or the film today, keep an eye on a few things that actually aged quite well:
- The Soundtrack: It’s not just Dylan. The use of The National and other indie staples gives it a timeless "early 2010s" vibe that still feels cozy.
- The Costuming: Look at Vincent’s cargo shorts and stained shirts. The trailer does a great job of visual storytelling before a single line is spoken.
- The Tone: Notice how it shifts from a comedy to a drama in the span of 30 seconds. That’s a masterclass in editing.
Actionable Steps for Film Buffs and Creators
For those interested in the mechanics of cinema or just looking for a good Friday night watch, here is how to engage with this piece of film history effectively:
- Watch the trailer first, then the "Shelter from the Storm" ending: Compare how the marketing used that scene versus how it feels in the context of the full story.
- Study the editing cuts: If you're a content creator, analyze how the trailer uses "micro-reactions" from the kid to sell Murray's jokes. It's a classic technique for making a protagonist more likable.
- Look for the "Saint" clues: Rewatch the trailer and see if you can spot the subtle hints that Vincent isn't just a jerk—like the way he treats his wife in the nursing home, which is briefly glimpsed but not explained.
- Check out Ted Melfi's follow-up: After the success of St. Vincent, Melfi went on to direct Hidden Figures. Seeing the jump in scale from this gritty indie-style trailer to a massive historical drama is a fascinating look at a director's trajectory.
The St Vincent film trailer remains a benchmark for how to market a "small" movie to a big audience. It didn't need explosions. It just needed Bill Murray, a lawn chair, and a garden hose.