Groundhog Day Review

        Out of all the holiday films, why on Earth would anyone make a Groundhog Day film? Well, Harold Ramis found a way and made a film that is very endearing. This is the fifth time that Bill Murray and Ramis made a film together such as Caddyshack and Ghostbusters. It could’ve been a daunting task to make a holiday film where it’s only relevant to the civilians of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This is probably one of the best comedies that came out in the 90s. SPOILERS will appear in the review.

1. Story

        We actually start in Pittsburgh, as weatherman Phil Connors explains to the viewers that a potential blizzard will not happen in their part of the state. His team Rita, played by Andie MacDowell and Larry, played by Chris Elliot are assigned to cover the annual event of Groundhog Day. Phil hates the idea, so much so that he ridicules the people by demeaning them to be just yokels. 

        Eventually, the crew make it to the town on February 2nd and Phil does a half-assed report on the famous animal. For those who don’t know, if the Groundhog sees it shadow, it extends the winter season by six more weeks. I’m not going to divulge the history since you people have phones. Anyways, the crew drive back to Pittsburgh but are stopped by a blizzard. Which makes Phil look like a jackass since he announced that one wasn’t supposed to hit. 

        They stay at the town to weather the blizzard. Phil wakes up, but he thinks somethings amiss since he hears the same radio broadcast, meet the same people with the same conversations. He realizes that he’s reliving Groundhog Day and tries various and hilarious ways to get himself back to normal. Since this is probably the first and only film to have the holiday be the backdrop, Ramis could’ve taken the idea any other way. 

2. Time Loop 

        Some have interpreted the film’s use of the time loop differently, how I see it is through the idea of D.A.B.D.A. Or the five stages of grief. It works in tandem with Phil’s character arc since he starts out as a jerk, then transition to him being cynical when he tries to flirt with a woman by lying about being in her high school class. He gets bored by his approach and tries to find other ways to stop the day from repeating, such as killing himself. 

        Seeing Phil realize and just plainly grow up throughout the film gives him sympathy since he tries to be friendly with the townspeople, given the circumstances. I like the moment when he tries to flirt with Rita on two separate occasions. The first time is when he tries to get to know her and make her fall in love with him but realizes that her day was too perfect, and Phil try to explain what’s happening to him. The second time, he’s just honest and tries again to flirt with her. 

        The moment when he tries to do good is the sincere part since he tried everything including suicide by electrocution, he might as well do some good deeds. Such as feeding a homeless priest some food. Like I mentioned earlier, the plot device is perfect to go along with Phil’s character since he ultimately comes out of the loop a completely different person. 

3. Overall

        Just by length of the review, I loved it and its my second shortest review. The other being The Thing back in October. This is one of the best comedies of the 90s. I know that the time loop has been used in other films in varyingly degrees such as Edge of Tomorrow and Happy Death Day. Check this one out, since it’s probably the best and only film to take place during an odd American holiday. 

Groundhog Day gets a four out of five.