Director: Harold Ramis
Story: Danny Rubin
Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliot
Music: George Fenton
Time: 97 minutes
Bottom-line: A great rom-com, which gives a valuable message
Ramis’ Groundhog Day is still remembered today for being a classic love story, but more importantly for the message it gives. This film had stiff competition, as several blockbusters were released in 1993, including two of my favourites: Schindler’s List and The Fugitive. Yet, with comic dialogues, a good story and great acting, Groundhog Day still manages to shine among other films of 1993 and many other romantic comedy films in general.
The story takes place almost entirely in a day… and you will see how. Phil Connors (Murray) is a self-centered weather man. His producer, Rita (MacDowell), and cameraman Larry (Elliot), travel to Punxsutawney, a small town in Penn state, where a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil predicts the weather, as legend says. If he comes out of his hole and sees his shadow, it means that there will be six more weeks of winter. Phil has no interest in this job, but Rita is very much excited. Phil is impatient to get back to Penn state, but a blizzard, unlike his prediction, prevents his return. An angry Phil goes to bed. When he wakes up next morning, he hears the same radio show as the previous day, and everyone says that they are off to see the groundhog. Phil finds that he is reliving February 2nd again and again, but no one else is aware of this time loop. Eventually he uses this to his advantage: seducing women, driving recklessly etc. because technically, the next morning he will always wake up in the same place, as if nothing happened. Phil loves Rita, but all his crazy incidents make him go farther and farther away from her. So, he decides to use the time loop to make Rita love him back. And as the day repeats itself again and again, Phil also becomes a changed man. Does he make Rita fall in love with him? Does he learn a valuable lesson in life? Watch this film to find out.
The story is good. The first time you see the groundhog day (the actual day in the film I mean), you find the incidents to be normal, nothing great about them. The comedy begins when Phil wakes up the next day, but finds it to be February second again. His expression and dialogues, when he is confused about the day, are excellent and very funny. On the first viewing of the film, the repeated incidents add to the fun. However, on repeated viewings of the film, the incidents become a touch boring. The story gives a message, as I said, but revealing the message would be a bit of a spoiler, so don’t read the following paragraph if you don’t want to spoil your enjoyment.
The film teaches the value of each day in life. Don’t be glum about the past, don’t worry about the future, think of today. This may be a clichéd message, but the way in which it has been shown makes it sink into our mind. By the end of the film, Phil learns many values of life and we, as the audience, also do. Initially, we also feel like Phil: get a day that repeats again and again no matter what you do; what do you do? Enjoy!! Do crazy stuff... when else are you going to get such a chance?? But soon, we realize that we should use the opportunity in a more productive way, just as Phil does. In the end Phil realizes that being a good person helps him to achieve his goal.
The acting is excellent. Murray’s expression when he realizes that he is reliving the day again, for the first time, is an expression of shock and confusion. Soon, he starts to use the day to his own advantage, and again his expressions change. Finally, he decides to use the day to become a better person, and again, his acting style changes. Andie MacDowell, though technically her expression and dialogues are the same, has acted well too.
Ramis has done well in another aspect also. In the second groundhog day, he shows almost all incidents that happened the first day. As the story progresses, he shows only the funny again or he show only a particular incident again. In some cases, we as viewers can make out that Phil does certain things everyday (in the same day), even when it is not shown on screen. For example, we see that he learns to ice-sculpt, though he learning is not shown on screen.
To sum up, Groundhog Day is a great entertainer, which will leave an impact on you because of the message it gives. Great acting by Murray and MacDowell, excellent and funny dialogues, a good story and plenty of comic incidents make this film a joy ride. Like how the day repeats itself in the film, you can watch this film again and again, and you will only like it more.
My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
Story: Danny RubinCast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliot
Music: George Fenton
Time: 97 minutes
Bottom-line: A great rom-com, which gives a valuable message
Ramis’ Groundhog Day is still remembered today for being a classic love story, but more importantly for the message it gives. This film had stiff competition, as several blockbusters were released in 1993, including two of my favourites: Schindler’s List and The Fugitive. Yet, with comic dialogues, a good story and great acting, Groundhog Day still manages to shine among other films of 1993 and many other romantic comedy films in general.
The story takes place almost entirely in a day… and you will see how. Phil Connors (Murray) is a self-centered weather man. His producer, Rita (MacDowell), and cameraman Larry (Elliot), travel to Punxsutawney, a small town in Penn state, where a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil predicts the weather, as legend says. If he comes out of his hole and sees his shadow, it means that there will be six more weeks of winter. Phil has no interest in this job, but Rita is very much excited. Phil is impatient to get back to Penn state, but a blizzard, unlike his prediction, prevents his return. An angry Phil goes to bed. When he wakes up next morning, he hears the same radio show as the previous day, and everyone says that they are off to see the groundhog. Phil finds that he is reliving February 2nd again and again, but no one else is aware of this time loop. Eventually he uses this to his advantage: seducing women, driving recklessly etc. because technically, the next morning he will always wake up in the same place, as if nothing happened. Phil loves Rita, but all his crazy incidents make him go farther and farther away from her. So, he decides to use the time loop to make Rita love him back. And as the day repeats itself again and again, Phil also becomes a changed man. Does he make Rita fall in love with him? Does he learn a valuable lesson in life? Watch this film to find out.
 |
| Murray as Phil Connors, and Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog |
The story is good. The first time you see the groundhog day (the actual day in the film I mean), you find the incidents to be normal, nothing great about them. The comedy begins when Phil wakes up the next day, but finds it to be February second again. His expression and dialogues, when he is confused about the day, are excellent and very funny. On the first viewing of the film, the repeated incidents add to the fun. However, on repeated viewings of the film, the incidents become a touch boring. The story gives a message, as I said, but revealing the message would be a bit of a spoiler, so don’t read the following paragraph if you don’t want to spoil your enjoyment.
The film teaches the value of each day in life. Don’t be glum about the past, don’t worry about the future, think of today. This may be a clichéd message, but the way in which it has been shown makes it sink into our mind. By the end of the film, Phil learns many values of life and we, as the audience, also do. Initially, we also feel like Phil: get a day that repeats again and again no matter what you do; what do you do? Enjoy!! Do crazy stuff... when else are you going to get such a chance?? But soon, we realize that we should use the opportunity in a more productive way, just as Phil does. In the end Phil realizes that being a good person helps him to achieve his goal.
 |
| MacDowell as Rita |
The acting is excellent. Murray’s expression when he realizes that he is reliving the day again, for the first time, is an expression of shock and confusion. Soon, he starts to use the day to his own advantage, and again his expressions change. Finally, he decides to use the day to become a better person, and again, his acting style changes. Andie MacDowell, though technically her expression and dialogues are the same, has acted well too.
 |
| Elliot as Larry |
Ramis has done well in another aspect also. In the second groundhog day, he shows almost all incidents that happened the first day. As the story progresses, he shows only the funny again or he show only a particular incident again. In some cases, we as viewers can make out that Phil does certain things everyday (in the same day), even when it is not shown on screen. For example, we see that he learns to ice-sculpt, though he learning is not shown on screen.
To sum up, Groundhog Day is a great entertainer, which will leave an impact on you because of the message it gives. Great acting by Murray and MacDowell, excellent and funny dialogues, a good story and plenty of comic incidents make this film a joy ride. Like how the day repeats itself in the film, you can watch this film again and again, and you will only like it more.
My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
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