Groundhog Day

Harold Ramis, USA, 1993, 101 minutes

How would you feel if today was the same as yesterday, and tomorrow would always be the same as today? In Groundhog Day, this nightmare becomes a reality for weatherman Phil Conners (Bill Murray). Phil, his producer Rita, and their cameraman have travelled to report on the annual weather prediction by a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil in the town of Punxsutawney. Once the festivities are over, sceptical Phil Conners discovers that a freak snowstorm has prevented their return home to Pittsburg. He returns to Punxsutawney and the next day, begins living Groundhog Day over, and over, and over...

After the initial despair (he tries to kill himself by every means possible, including electrocution by toaster), Phil discovers that he can use the situation to his advantage. He realises that drink driving, stealing huge amounts of cash and deceiving women to get them into bed have no consequences for him. As the same day goes by he tries different approaches to the same situation, until he receives the biggest payoff. This results in highly predictable but genuinely very funny moments for us.

Eight years on, Groundhog Day has become a classic comedy, which is the position it always deserved. Bill Murray gives a fantastic performance as the cynical self-centred weatherman trapped in the small town world of Punxsutawney. Andie MacDowell's Rita is a far more believable and rather less annoying character than previous and subsequent performances. Rita deals well with Phil's tantrums and anti-social behaviour, and obviously eventually falls for him, and him for her. It's not called "romantic comedy" for nothing, but the inventive script and underlying ideas makes Groundhog Day a truly original comedy.

Review by Lindsay MacDonald
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2002

Misanthropic TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) goes to cover the Groundhog Day festivities in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania. With him is an irrepressibly cheerful producer, Rita (Andie MacDowell) and a cameraman. An unexpected snowstorm prevents the weather team from getting back to Pittsburg. Connors wakes up the next day to find its Groundhog Day again, with everyone else acting just as they did before. Again, Connors is unable to leave. The same happens the next day... and again... and again. Connors realises that he can do whatever he wants, being (sort of) omniscient and omnipotent.

Groundhog Day succeeds on all counts: (i) It's genuinely funny, making the most of the comedic potential of repetition: The situation repeats, we know what's going to happen next, and laugh when it does. (Possible influences here might be Buñuel's satires of ritual and Henri Bergson's philosophical take on the nature of laughter.) (ii) It covers the bases, in terms of the audiences attitudes. Romantics can take heart that Connors is redeemed and finds true love. Even someone like Connors can become a nice guy. Cynics can counter that Connors only starts being good when he's exhausted all other possibilities. (iii) The repetition/development of the scenes allows the actors (especially Murray), director, and editor ample oppurtunities to demonstrate their talents. (iv) The groundhog, Punxatawney Phil, is barfingly cute... "Aw!" or "Where'd I put that shotgun?"

Review by Keith H. Brown
Taken from EUFS Programme 1995-96