Review: Groundhog Day (1993)

Some movies are all about the director, others about the actors, some about a great plot. But there are very few movies that are more about a concept and a writer/director who wants to see where he can take it. The Man From Earth (a must-watch, if you haven’t seen it) was one, and Groundhog Day fits the bill perfectly too.

So what would you do if there was no tomorrow — in fact, every day is the same, with all the people in the city going about a set routine of events every time you wake up? Groundhog Day puts Bill Murray in an infinite loop of what he describes as the worst day of his life.

Murray plays TV weatherman Phil Connors who is set to the little town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — along with his new, cheery producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry — to cover the Groundhog Day festivities on February 2nd, where a badger predicts whether spring will come early that year.

After wrapping up the report, the television crew tries to make it out of the town but is thwarted by a blizzard that blocks all roads. Having been forced to spend another day in the place, Phil wakes up to find the radio playing the same song as the day before and the RJs spewing the same lines. Of course, it soon dawns upon him that he is reliving the day.

But upon waking up the next day to find that it’s still Groundhog Day, he realises that he is caught in an infinite loop.

And it seems that he is the only one unaffected by the event. Everybody else in the town is a slave of routine and they continue to perform the same actions and say the same things, day after day after day…

That’s when director Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Analyze This) puts across a question that is directed more at the audience than our protagonist: What would you do if your actions had no consequences? Groundhog Day is a cool representation of the question and a wonderful concept overall.

Phil, of course, goes through mood swings as he uses his new power to spoil himself with food and women; then reach utter depression and try to kill himself; finally — and predictably – falling for Rita and trying to win her over. I won’t spoil it much, do watch the movie for yourself.

One question does remain though: Why doesn’t Phil just try to get out of town as soon as he wakes up? The film does have a few such loopholes, but it would probably be best to ignore them and enjoy the ride.

As usual, Murray delivers a solid performance — understated, sarcastic, funny and prone to moments of utter madness. The concept and the script, though, overpower his role as Ramis tries to depict what pros and cons come with immortality. Still, this is the writer of Ghostbusters and Analyse This, so don’t worry about the movie getting too heavy or philosophical at any point.

Groundhog Day is a light, fun comedy that doesn’t overstay its welcome and is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, where you don’t want to tax your mind but still want something more stimulating than a Schwarzenegger movie.

Rating: 6.5/10

Trailer: