Movie Review: Groundhog Day (1993)

Groundhog Day (1993) co-written and directed by Harold Ramis

Pittsburgh weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a smart guy but completely full of himself. He has to travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the "most famous weatherman," Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who might or might not see his shadow, thereby predicting if winter will continue for another six weeks. He hates the assignment. Punxsutawney is small-town America and Phil thinks the locals are all small and uninteresting. He's isn't shy about his attitude either, complaining to his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman (Chris Elliott). He wants to finish the assignment and get back to Pittsburgh. A blizzard comes in and blocks the highway, forcing them to return to Punxsutawney. Phil wakes up the next morning to discover that it's February 2 again. He has to go through the whole day over. And over. And over. And over.

Phil has a bigger problem than the constant repetition of the same day. He's a narcissistic jerk. He initially hates that he is trapped in a podunk town but soon realizes he can indulge himself in any pleasure he wants. He starts off with food and sex, though he reveals a romantic interest in Rita. The hedonistic life does not satisfy him. He turns to suicide, though that only ends the day early, with another start at February 2 right after. He tries to seduce Rita but fails again and again. He eventually comes around to the idea of improving himself and the lives of others around him in order to be truly fulfilled.

While being a funny comedy, there's a deeper meaning to the film, in the sense of being more profound, not hard to find. Phil's transformation is inspiring though the path to that change is more played for laughs than didactic. That emphasis makes the film more enjoyable and more rewatchable, and well worth getting stuck in a loop.

Highly recommended.

The people over at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast discussed this a while ago on Episode 14. Check it out for a much deeper discussion of the film.