In the early 1990s, writer Danny Rubin got an idea for a film after reading Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. He wondered what someone would do if they had unlimited time and how boring that would get after a while. With the script finished, Rubin tried shopping it around until it caught the attention of talent agent Richard Lovett. Lovett passed the screenplay along to Harold Ramis, who immediately signed on to direct because it spoke to him spiritually. Ramis worked with Rubin to add more comedic elements to the script, which interested Bill Murray in starring. For the rest of the cast, they hired Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliot, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Brian Doyle-Murray, amongst others. With a $14.6 and $30 million budget, filming lasted from April to June 1992 despite tensions between Ramis and Murray. Groundhog Day finally hit theaters on February 12, 1993.
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Synopsis
Phil Conners (Bill Murray), an egotistical, cynical TV weatherman, goes to Punxsutawney for his annual Groundhog Day coverage. He’s accompanied by producer Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowall) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) and makes no qualms about hating it. After covering the festivities, Conners wants to leave but is stuck due to a blizzard that he predicted wouldn’t happen. The following day, he wakes up to find that yesterday’s events are happening again, but no one else notices. Realizing that he’s stuck in a time loop, Phil tries explaining his situation to Rita, but she doesn’t believe him. At first, Phil decides to use this to hook up with random women, commit robberies, and generally manipulate everyone. However, when he tries the same tactics on Rita and fails, Phil realizes he needs to change his ways. Will Phil become a better person or be stuck in Groundhog Day forever?
Review
It’s a shame this film ended Bill Murray and Harold Ramis’ decades-long relationship, but at least it was another classic. Groundhog Day is a goofy comedy and an emotional character drama about love and redemption. While he has the same trademark dry wit and sarcastic attitude, Murray shows his more dramatic side here. You see him go from arrogant and mean-spirited to depressed and suicidal before he redeems himself. It’s a typical “bad guy changes their ways” story we’ve seen several times before, but it’s done so well here. Andie MacDowell is excellent as the adorably cheerful and optimistic Rita, contrasting perfectly with Murray’s cynicism. Chris Elliot doesn’t have much to do as Larry, but he gets a few moments to shine. Stephen Tobolowsky is a scene stealer as Ned Ryerson, an obnoxious insurance salesman who Conners constantly runs into. Seeing how Conners responds to Ryerson is a riot.
Since the film revolves around the same day, happening repeatedly, scenes can get repetitive quickly. Also, parts of the movie feel episodic, like a new subplot starts up, only to be resolved in five minutes. The tone can sometimes be inconsistent, going from funny to severe to comedic again without a rhyme or reason. Still, some of these flaws don’t seem like flaws; instead, they’re meant to make you feel how Murray’s character feels. The movie is a metaphor for living the same life day in and day out and feeling stuck. It also shows how the fact that we only have a limited amount of time makes our lives more memorable. While previous Ramis/Murray comedies like Caddyshack, Stripes, and Ghostbusters are classics, this stands in a league of its own. Overall, Groundhog Day is among the best 90s comedies that continue to stand the test of time.
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