Groundhog Day is a 1993 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, who co-wrote the screenplay with Danny Rubin. Starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott, it tells the story of a cynical television weatherman covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who becomes trapped in a time loop, forcing him to relive February2 repeatedly. The film also features Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty, Angela Paton, Rick Ducommun, Rick Overton, and Robin Duke in supporting roles.
Rubin conceived Groundhog Day in the early 1990s. He wrote it as a spec script to gain meetings with producers for other work. It eventually came to the attention of Ramis, who worked with Rubin to make his idea less dark in tone and more palatable to a general audience by enhancing the comedy. Murray clashed with Ramis over the script; he wanted to focus on the philosophical elements, whereas Ramis concentrated on the comedic aspects. Principal photography took place from March to June 1992, almost entirely in Woodstock, Illinois. Filming was difficult, in part because of bitterly cold weather but also because of the ongoing conflict between Ramis and Murray.
Groundhog Day premiered at the Fox Village Theatre on February 4, 1993 and was released by Columbia Pictures on February 12. Earning over $105million, it became one of the year's highest-grossing films. It also received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the melding of sentimental and cynical moments, and the philosophical message beneath the comedy. It was nominated for multiple awards and won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film marked the end of Murray and Ramis's longtime collaborative partnership, which had produced films like Caddyshack (1980) and Ghostbusters (1984). After filming ended, the pair did not speak to each other until shortly before Ramis's death in 2014. The film was a showcase for Murray; he had previously been seen primarily as a comic actor, and his performance led to more serious roles in critically acclaimed films.
In the years since its release, the film has grown in esteem; it is often considered among the greatest films of the 1990s and one of the greatest comedy films. It has also had a significant effect on popular culture: the term Groundhog Day, meaning a monotonous, unpleasant, and repetitive situation, has become part of the English lexicon. Buddhist, Christian, and Jewish scholars have analyzed the film as a religious allegory. Groundhog Day is also credited with having ushered in mainstream acceptance of comedy films with fantasy-genre elements, and popularizing time loop narratives. In 2006, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry. Groundhog Day was adapted into a 2016 musical, and inspired a 2019 video game sequel, Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son.
Plot
thumb|A private home in [[Woodstock, Illinois, was used for exteriors of the Cherry Street Inn, the fictional location in which Phil awakens every morning in the film.|alt=A white house with a green roof. It is set back from a lawn and surrounded by bare trees.]]
Cynical television weatherman Phil Connors reassures his Pittsburgh viewers that an approaching blizzard will miss Western Pennsylvania. Alongside his new producer Rita Hanson and cameraman Larry, Phil travels to Punxsutawney for his annual coverage of the Groundhog Day festivities. He makes no secret of his contempt for the assignment, the small town, and the "hicks" who live there, asserting that he will soon leave his station for a new job.
On February2, Phil awakens in the Cherry Street Inn to Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" playing on the clock radio. He gives a half-hearted report on the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil and the festivities. Contrary to his prediction, the blizzard strikes the area, preventing all travel, and although he desperately searches for a way to leave, he is forced to spend the night in the town.
The next morning, Phil again awakens to "I Got You Babe" and the same DJ banter on the radio in his room at the Cherry Street Inn. He experiences the previous day's events repeating exactly and believes he is experiencing déjà vu. He again unsuccessfully attempts to leave the town and retires to bed, only to awaken on February2 once more. Phil realizes that he is trapped in a time loop of which no one else is aware. He confides his situation to Rita, who directs him to a neurologist, who in turn directs him to a psychologist; neither can explain his experiences. He gets drunk with locals Gus and Ralph and then leads police on a high-speed car chase before being arrested and imprisoned; the next morning, Phil awakens in the Cherry Street Inn once again.
Realizing that there are no consequences for his actions, Phil begins to spend his loops indulging in binge eating, one-night stands, and robbery, using his growing knowledge of the day's events and the town's residents to manipulate circumstances to his advantage. He eventually focuses on seducing the sweet-natured Rita, using the loops to learn more about her and exploit that knowledge. No matter what steps he takes, Rita rebuffs his advances, particularly when Phil tells her he loves her; she asserts that he does not even know her.
Phil gradually becomes depressed and desperate for a way to escape the loop. He commits suicide in a variety of ways, including kidnapping Punxsutawney Phil and driving them both off a cliff. Each time, he reawakens on February2. He tries to explain his situation to Rita again, using his detailed knowledge of the day to predict events accurately. Convinced, Rita spends the day with him and encourages him to view the loop as a blessing rather than a curse. As they lie on the bed together at night, Phil realizes that his feelings for Rita have become sincere. He wakes alone on February2. He decides to use the loop to change himself and help others: he saves people from deadly accidents and misfortunes and learns to play the piano, sculpt ice, and speak French. Despite his efforts, however, he is haunted by his inability to prevent a homeless old man from dying of natural causes.
During one iteration of the loop, Phil reports on the Groundhog Day festivities with such eloquence that other news crews stop working to listen, amazing Rita. Phil continues his day helping the people of Punxsutawney. That night, Rita witnesses Phil's expert piano-playing as the adoring townsfolk regale her with stories of his good deeds. Impressed by his apparent overnight transformation, Rita successfully bids for him at a charity bachelor auction. Phil carves an ice sculpture in Rita's image and tells her that no matter what happens, even if he is trapped in the loop forever, he is finally happy because he loves her. They share a kiss and retire to his room.
Phil wakes the next morning to find Rita still in bed with him; it is now February3. He tells Rita he wants to live in Punxsutawney with her.
Cast
- Bill Murray as Phil Connors
- Andie MacDowell as Rita Hanson
- Chris Elliott as Larry the cameraman
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson
- Brian Doyle-Murray as Buster Green
- Marita Geraghty as Nancy Taylor
- Angela Paton as Mrs. Lancaster
- Rick Ducommun as Gus
- Rick Overton as Ralph
- Robin Duke as Doris the waitress
In addition to the main cast, Groundhog Day features Ken Hudson Campbell as the man in the hotel hallway, David Pasquesi as Phil's psychiatrist, and Richard Henzel and Rob Riley as the radio hosts waking Phil every morning. Hynden Walch and Michael Shannon portray the newlywed couple Debbie and Fred. Les Podewell plays the homeless old man, and Rod Sell appears as a Groundhog Day official. Director Harold Ramis cameos as a neurologist. Punxsutawney Phil is portrayed by a groundhog known as Scooter. The scene of Phil driving a truck over a cliff was shot in Nimtz Quarry in Loves Park, Illinois, about from Woodstock. A rail system was used to propel two vehicles into the quarry on separate takes, to give Ramis a choice of shots; pyrotechnics were employed to make each explode.
Murray initially hated the finished Groundhog Day.
Analysis
Time loop duration
The duration of Phil's real-time entrapment in the time loop has been the subject of much discussion. In 2017, the BBC polled 253 critics (118 female, 135 male) from across 52 countries on the funniest film made. Groundhog Day came fourth, behind Annie Hall, Dr. Strangelove (1964), and Some Like It Hot.
The narrative concept of someone trapped in a repeating segment of time can be traced back to 1904, and is a popular trope, particularly in science-fiction.
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