GROUNDHOG DAY

US, 1993, 101 minutes, Colour.
Bill Murray, Andie Mac Dowell, Chris Elliot, Stephen Tobolowsky.
Directed by Harold Ramis

TV weatherman, Phil Connors, has been assigned to cover 'Groundhog Day', February 2nd, the day that the groundhog emerges to indicate the length of winter. Phil is a cynic. He has covered the day several times. However, his producer, Rita, is more enthusiastic. A snowstorm brews which traps them in the town of Punxsutawny, Pa.

When Phil wakes the next day, he finds that it is February 2nd again and that he is going through exactly the same scenario of the day before. He is the only one for whom the day is repeating itself. And the next day. And the next. And... While he seeks psychiatric help, he soon realises that he can use his information about the people in the town to exploit them, have his way with women, rob a bank. Even his suicide attempts means that he wakes up the next day to the same routines.

After talking to Rita and realising that he loves her, he changes and begins to use his knowledge of what will happen for people's good. Eventually, he is hailed as a local hero. The next day he wakes up and it is February 3rd.

Groundhog Day charmed audiences on its first release, a comedy that really pleased everyone. Co-writer and director, Harold Ramis, comes from a tradition of broad humour (Stripes and Caddyshack). He also directed and starred as one of the Ghostbusters.

This comedy is far more restrained than his earlier work but just as funny. Bill Murray is effective as the world-weary weatherman who has to relive February 2nd until he is redeemed. (Murray was to do more serious comedy in such movies as Ed Wood, Cradle Will Rock, The Royal Tennenbaums). Andie Mac Dowell is attractive as the producer. Ramis worked with her in his movie variation on multiple days with multiple versions of the same person, Multiplicity. Ramis had a big success in 1999 with his parody of gangster movies with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, Analyse This.

The day repeated is a popular theme of science-fiction or of psychological enlightenment. Here it is used as a comic moral fable, a fable about repentance and redemption, but presented in an easy and popular vein that attracts the widest audience.

1.One of the favourite American comedies? Its classic status? Its being an American tale, American style?

2.The Pennsylvania settings, February 2nd, Groundhog Day, the town, the winter, the snow? The atmosphere? The town – and its growing familiarity as the audience lives each day with Phil?

3.The title, the meaning, the town of Punxutawny, the indication by the groundhog about whether winter will stay or not?

4.Bill Murray as Phil, bringing his screen persona to the character, his way of speaking, expressions, laconic talk? His job, reporting it for four years, his being bored, the same thing each year, his relationship with the members of the crew, tough, his relationship with Rita? Cynical and rude? Larry and Rita and his reactions, dealing with him? The set-up?

5.The hotel, Phil’s criticism, the routine? Groundhog Day, Sonny and Cher and “You Got Me, Babe”, 6.00am? Beginning the day, the friendliness, the school friend and his cheery style? The hotel lady, the crowd? Ned Ryerson and his manner, the greeting? The officials, the routines, the ceremony? The audience being familiar from the first Groundhog Day to its repetitions and variations? His possibility for changing, the actual changes, his reactions, expectations of what was to happen to people and his adjusting? For helping people? For exploiting them? For seducing Rita?

6.The aftermath of Groundhog Days, his finally getting out, a wiser man, on the road, the snow – and the return?

7.Andie MacDowell? as Rita, a nice person, producer, on the job, efficient? Her relationship with Phil, the discussions, urging him on for the reporting? As she returned each day, nice, Phil knowing a little bit more about her, the discussions, friendly, her background, her taste, the attraction, her disappearing? Phil’s response, his becoming nice with her? Change? The auction?

8.Larry, his job, his reactions, his life story, the routines, the women, the auction?

9.The officials of the town, their behaviour, officious, the ceremony? The chase? Phil and his reaction to them each day, anticipation, speech, reactions?

10.The humour of the repetition, and its effect? “You Got Me, Babe”, waking up, 6.00am? Phil’s puzzle, exasperation, anger? His being trapped? His different response to each day? His different television performance? The possibility of breaking the law and getting away with it: the robbery, jail? His greed, drinking? The lessening of responsibility because it would all happen the next day and no-one would remember? Sexuality, getting to know people, the women? Yet his learning the piano, the beggar and his illness and knowing that he had to save him? The man choking? The bar and the drivers? Accidents?

11.The possibility of suicide as the only way out? His waking up?

12.People being the same, or different? Ned Ryerson and the different interactions with him? Not just a rote greeting but becoming a person? People saved? The possibilities for heroic action? The auction, playing?

13.The whole effect of Phil Connors and the experience of Groundhog Day? The quality of his life at first? Its pointing up the hollowness of his life, the selfishness? His gradually adapting, seeing the possibilities for doing ill, seeing the possibilities for doing good, his options? Change?

14.Groundhog Day as a kind of purgatory, people consciously living their lives over again, acknowledging the evil that they have done – and the possibility of redeeming themselves by doing good?