Bill Murray Rules in City of Ember

Sci-Fi Adventure Based on Jeanne Duprau’s Best-Selling Novel

Oct 10, 2008

As the corrupt mayor of the underground city of Ember, Murray's character leads his people into darkness.

Ember is a dying underground city of the future. Starving, impoverished, and desperate to revive their now-flickering lights and unreliable generator, the inhabitants of Ember rely on their bloated and corrupt Mayor of Ember (Bill Murray) to come up with answers. When he’s not passing out mandatory careers to children on “Assignment Day,” having portraits made of himself, or stuffing down contraband food, the Mayor holds public meetings during which he makes worthless announcements accompanied by much fanfare.

Bill Murray’s Character Sets the Tone

Mayor Cole exemplifies all that’s wrong with the City. He’s conceited, cowardly, and ignorant. Under his direction and empty promises to assign a “task force” to look into the failing generator that threatens their existence, the people have only two choices: carry on with a blind faith or secretly plot to find answers on their own. A seriously delusional woman (Mary Kay Place) leads the faith-based group by singing for their future rather than acting upon it. Others, such as a single-father inventor (Tim Robbins), have learned to keep silent about dangererous secrets.

Unlocking the mystery of an ancient box left by the city’s Builders is left to two teenagers, the quick-moving messenger Lina (Saoirse Ronan) and a young man from pipeworks, Doon (Harry Treadaway). Already friends, the two must combine their knowledge and skills in a secret plot to save the city from imminent darkness and ultimate destruction.

Directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House), produced by Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and written by Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands), City of Ember keeps its story simple and dialogue predictable. The special effects suffice for a sci-fi adventure, but provide nothing particularly noteworthy. A grim glimpse of the future, this film depicts adults as weak and children as strong, a sure sign that kids will love the movie and leave some of the grownups scratching their heads in disbelief.

Ronan gives an especially winning performance as the young girl forced into the position of living on her own, solving the mystery of the box, finding an ally among enemies, saving her little sister, and teaching others what she’s learned. She brings a fresh honest exhuberance to the role, one of the few bright spots in a dark, depressing cautionary tale of one possible future.

Toby Jones (voice of Dobby in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) as the Mayor’s equally corrupt assistant, Martin Landau (Ed Wood) as the pipe works expert who tutors Doon, and MacKenzie Crook (Pirates of the Caribbean) as a shadowy figure working in the food storage compartments round out the interesting cast.

The copyright of the article Bill Murray Rules in City of Ember in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Bill Murray Rules in City of Ember in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.