Groundhog Day (1993)

A weatherman finds himself inexplicably living the same day over and over again.

Director:

Harold Ramis

Writers:

Danny Rubin (screenplay), Harold Ramis (screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Top Rated Movies #233 | Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Phil
Andie MacDowell	...	Rita
Chris Elliott	...	Larry
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Ned
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Buster
Marita Geraghty	...	Nancy
Angela Paton	...	Mrs. Lancaster
Rick Ducommun	...	Gus
Rick Overton	...	Ralph
Robin Duke	...	Doris the Waitress
Carol Bivins	...	Anchorwoman
Willie Garson	...	Phil's Assistant Kenny
Ken Hudson Campbell	...	Man in Hallway
Les Podewell	...	Old Man
Rod Sell	...	Groundhog Official

Storyline

A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. First he uses this to his advantage, then comes the realisation that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day.

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Plot Keywords:

trapped in a time loop | time loop | groundhog day | suicide | weatherman | 

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Taglines:

He's having the day of his life...over and over again.

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

12 February 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Groundhog Day

Filming Locations:

344 Fremont St, Woodstock, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,652,108, 15 February 1993, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$70,906,973

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (as Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Keaton turned down the role of Phil Connors because he found the idea to be confusing when he read the script. He and Andie MacDowell would later team up with director Harold Ramis for Multiplicity (1996).

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Goofs

Although the movie is ostensibly set in Punxsutawney, when Phil meets Ned for the first and subsequent times there is a store in the background quite clearly named 'Woodstock Jewellers', obviously named for the town where the movie was actually filmed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Phil: Somebody asked me today, "Phil, if you could be anywhere in the world, where would you like to be?" And I said to him, "Prob'ly right here - Elko, Nevada, our nation's high at 79 today." Out in California, they're gonna have some warm weather tomorrow, gang wars, and some *very* overpriced real estate. Up in the Pacific Northwest, as you can see, they're gonna have some very, very tall trees.

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Alternate Versions

The original version that was released to the movie theatres contained an extra scene with Phil and Rita at the bar. In it, she explains how she likes sweet vermouth with a twist because it reminds her of how the sun hits the buildings in Rome in the afternoon, and also how she would like to live in the mountains. In the VHS release, this scene has been cut, but the next scene in which Phil repeats these things to Rita, still remains.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 25 February 2014 (2014)

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Soundtracks

Piano Sonata in C, K545, 1st movement
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Ingenious concept, enthusiastically presented.

Bill Murray can be a very funny guy, especially when given roles where his character has a deliciously cruel edge. He has one of those faces, and a voice to go with it, which can make nastiness and sarcasm funny. Groundhog Day is a highly enjoyable vehicle for Murray's talents. It also has a very clever concept, neatly brought to the screen by actor-turned-director Harold Ramis (who starred alongside Murray in the Ghostbusters films).

Pittsburgh weather-man Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent on assignment to Punxatawney, where on Groundhog Day each year the locals have a tradition of consulting the groundhog to find out if spring is imminent or if they should prepare for 6 more weeks of winter. Phil despises the job and the town, and can't wait to get it over with.... even though he has a soft spot for Rita (Andie MacDowell), the producer overseeing his broadcast. Phil's dislike of Punxatawney, its people and its traditions is set to get a hell of a lot worse though.... as when he awakens the next morning he finds himself reliving the same day. And so it goes - every time Phil gets up, it's still February 2nd and he seems destined to be stuck in the same day for the rest of eternity.

It seems early on in the proceedings that the film might run out of steam and inspiration. After all, how can a film about a day which repeats itself be anything but repetitive? Thankfully, Groundhog Day is full of ingenious ideas, and it successfully throws up new developments and delightful twists at every opportunity. The film is laced with memorable dialogue, and Murray gets to play one of the defining roles of his career as a facetious, sharp-tongued misanthrope who ultimately learns the error of his ways. Groundhog Day is a very good film indeed, and restores one's faith in the imagination still lurking beneath the dismayingly shallow surface of Hollywood.