Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day (PG)

Grade: A+

• Directed by: Harold Ramis
• Produced by: Trevor Albert and Harold Ramis
• Screenplay: Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis
• Starring: Bill Murray (Phil Connors), Andie McDowell (Rita), Chris Elliot (Larry), Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson), Brian Doyle-Murray (Buster Green), Harold Ramis (Neurologist)
• Cinematographer: John Bailey
• Music by: George Fenton
• Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
• Released: February 12, 1993
• Running Time: 101 minutes/1 hour and 41 minutes
• Language: English 

 

The 4th of July was yesterday, but the only day on my mind is "Groundhog Day".  NO!  Not the day itself, the film with Bill Murray.  I'll be honest; I had no expectations coming into this film because I had never heard of it, and the fact my friend bought at a store in a CD case for $2, but man, was I glad he did.  This film is great!

"Groundhog Day" has a premise we're all familiar with (which is ironic considering what the film is about).  What would you do if you woke up and relived one day over and over again?  To some, that would be a dream, but it's a nightmare for Phil Connors, a TV weatherman who has that happen to him on Groundhog Day.  He already hates his job, and the people he works with, so when this happen, he wants to kill himself, but eventually he makes the best out of the situation, leading to hilarious and touching results.

For a film this good, there's lots of praise that can be spread around.  The film has a great plot, it's well written, and the jokes are a riot and memorable (if/when you watch it, you'll see what I mean), but the winner of this award has to go to Harold Ramis and Bill Murray.  Ramis deserves praise for obvious reason.  He directed, produced, wrote, and even starred in the film, but he was the one who cast Murray as the lead, a pivotal decision which put the film over the top.  To be honest, I'm haven't seen Bill Murray in many films besides his classic films like "Ghostbusters", but I knew from his previous roles he would be funny and sarcastic.  I was right about that, but I didn't expect him to show the range he'd end up having in this film.  Yes, he's an a**hole at times that you don't root for, but as you delve deeper into the film, it's obvious Phil Connors is more than he seems.

"Groundhog Day" is a film with so many strengths, but the one reason why I now love it and recommend it is the connection it has to real life.  We all wish or at least contemplate what our lives would be like if we could relive one day constantly.  Now, our dream/fantasy is finally on the big screen, and it doesn't just show the joy and humor some of us would have; it shows the sadness, and loneliness we'd have knowing that we could never see the people we love again or move on from situations.  At the same time, the film shows that any person can change, even the bad ones for the better. "Groundhog Day" may of been made 20 years ago, but it's messages still apply, and it's worth seeing if you're a fan of films.  And that's something I don't need a groundhog to know.