Groundhog Day

1993 Comedy

Bill Murray plays Phil, a TV weatherman working for a local station in Pennsylvania but convinced that national news stardom is in his grasp. Phil displays a charm and wit on camera that evaporates the moment the red light goes off; he is bitter, appallingly self-centered, and treats his co-workers with contempt, especially his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliot). On February 2, 1992, Phil, Rita, and Larry are sent on an assignment that Phil especially loathes: the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA, where the citizens await the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who will supposedly determine the length of winter by his ability to see his own shadow. Phil is eager to beat a hasty retreat, but when a freak snowstorm strands him in Punxsutawney, he wakes up the next morning with the strangest sense of déjà vu: he seems to be living the same day over again. The next morning it happens again, and then again. Soon, no matter what he does, he's stuck in February 2, 1992; not imprisonment nor attempted suicide nor kidnapping the groundhog gets him out of the loop. But the more Phil relives the same day, the more he's forced to look at other people's lives, and something unusual happens: he begins to care about others. He starts to respect people, he tries to save the life of a homeless man, and he discovers that he's falling in love with Rita and therefore wants to be someone that she could love in return. more..

Director: Harold Ramis

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray

Reviews

  • For once, the audience isn't forced to surrender its intelligence (or its healthy cynicism) to embrace the film's sunny resolution.

    Hal Hinson - The Washington Post

    26 April 2013

  • A hilarious and unexpectedly profound comedy.

    Scott Tobias - The A.V. Club

    26 April 2013

  • That glimmer of recognition is what makes Groundhog Day a particularly witty and resonant comedy, even when its jokes are more apt to prompt gentle giggles than rolling in the aisles.

    Elvis Mitchell - The New York Times

    26 April 2013

  • Richard Corliss - Time

    26 April 2013

  • A demonstration of the way time can sometimes give us a break.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Actress

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (1994)

  • Best Screenplay - Original

    BAFTA Awards (1994)

  • George Fenton

    BMI Film & TV Awards (1994)

  • Best Comedy Film

    British Comedy Awards (1993)

  • Best Dramatic Presentation

    Hugo Awards (1994)