Cynical TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) has nothing but disdain for the population of Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, the nowhere town he has to visit every year in order to cover the traditional Groundhog Day festivities. Even the attractive company of new producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) doesn't cheer him up, and his mood doesn't improve when he is stranded overnight due to a blizzard. Imagine his horror, therefore, when he wakes the following morning to discover that it is Groundhog Day all over again. For some reason, Phil has become trapped in a Punxatawney time loop, forced to live the same day over and over. Romantic, uplifting and gleefully intelligent, this is an original comic gem.
An eminently watchable romantic comedy, albeit one with darkish edges. Phil Connors (Murray) is a weatherman who is sent to the small town of Punxsutawney to report on... more >
An eminently watchable romantic comedy, albeit one with darkish edges. Phil Connors (Murray) is a weatherman who is sent to the small town of Punxsutawney to report on an annual event in which - legend has it - a groundhog predicts the weather. Phil hates the event (this is the fourth consecutive year he has covered it) and can't wait to finish and get away. However, when a blizzard hits the town, he and his crew are forced to stay overnight. Upon waking the next morning, Phil notices that all is not as it should be - it's Groundhog Day again. It soon becomes apparent that Phil is stuck in some kind of time-loop; the next day is also Groundhog Day...and the day after...and the day after that...and so on...but Phil is the only one experiencing deja vu.
Sounds far-fetched? Well, obviously, that's because it is! Suspend your disbelief, though; what makes this film work is that it avoids tedious repetition and mawkish over-sentimentality, focusing on Phil's character, the different ways in which he reacts to his dilemma, and how he is shaped and changed by them. At first he is simply bewildered, then he starts to have a rather superficial kind of fun, but as 'escape' appears to grow more unlikely, he grows frustrated, depressed and suicidal. When it becomes equally apparent that death is not a viable option either, he becomes resigned to his situation and starts a philosophical journey of self-discovery which, ultimately, makes him a better person.
It helps that the script is excellent and there are an abundance of neat little touches (watch Phil's reactions to numerous overly-familiar situations, such as his encounters with Ned the insurance salesman), but ultimately this is Bill Murray's film, and arguably his finest hour, as he proves himself to be an actor of rare virtuosity. Phil Connors is not a particularly likeable character at the outset - he is dour and cynical, thinks only of himself and is rude to just about everyone else - but Murray conveys the changes in Phil's personality in a totally convincing manner. By the end of the film, he is everybody's friend. You'll probably feel like he's one of yours too.
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