Movie Review - Groundhog Day

  Groundhog Day (1993)

Director: Harold Ramis

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

See, romantic comedies can be good.  A movie can be light-hearted, fun, and appeal to both sexes while still being interesting.  Groundhog Day is a testament to that fact.  The 80s and 90s had tons of great  romantic comedies, but they unfortunately seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur recently.  I guess one problem is that not every movie can be directed by a comedic genius like Harold Ramis, and star arguably the most charismatic comedy comedy actor ever in Bill Murray.

But what every movie can do is try things that are new or interesting.  The story of boy meets girl is maybe the most classic (and thus over-used) in all of fiction.  But there is a reason for that: audiences will never tire of it as long as it's well-done.  And Groundhog Day is very well done.  For a movie so simple and so sweet on the surface, Groundhog Day is actually pretty high-concept.  The idea of a man reliving the same day over and over again could just as easily be fodder for an episode of The X-Files or The Twilight Zone as a 90s romantic comedy.  In a way, Groundhog Day is a science fiction movie masquerading as a lighthearted comedy.  The genius part, though, is that it includes just enough of those elements to keep things interesting while still being accessible to a mainstream audience. 

The movie does tackle some pretty heavy stuff, though.  A lot of movies that have a conceit like this one wouldn't really take the time to flesh it out and really thoroughly explore the subject matter the way Groundhog Day does.  A more recent movie like Good Luck Chuck is built around a pretty out there concept that could have actually been really interesting, but fails to deliver on that promise the way Groundhog Day does.  Instead of really delving into what would happen if a guy had the power to make women find true love by sleeping with them, the movie became just another forgettable, one-note romantic comedy.  Part of that is because Dane Cook is no Bill Murray, but a bigger part is that the movie never goes beyond the surface level, never strives to become as a much a character study as a comedy the way Groundhog  Day does.  It is that process that gives Groundhog Day such a heart.  Every step that Phil goes through, we believe it.  Every progression makes sense.  And because we undergo that process together with Phil, we actually want him to break the cycle and get the girl.

As I mentioned before, the success of this movie is largely due to the charm of Bill Murray. Murray is truly at the peak of his powers here in terms of the first stage of his career.  Watching this movie now, with the knowledge of Lost in Translation and Wes Anderson-era Bill Murray in my head, it is amazing to note the transformation that Murray has undergone as an actor.  Murray of today may be a more a diverse and respected dramatic actor, but only 1993 Bill Murray could have pulled off this performance in Groundhog Day.  In recent years, Murray has moved ever further into the area of the dry and occasionally curmudgeonly, but here he has just enough heart and kindness to make us cheer for him.  It takes a truly special actor to be as big a jerk as Murray as in this movie and have the audience still cheer for him anyway.  And Murray pulls it off splendidly.

The other star of the movie, other than the tremendous writing, is the supporting cast.  Unsurprisingly, Chris Elliott is subtly hilarious in a limited role.  And Stephen Tobolowsky, despite basically giving the same performance over and over again, steals nearly ever scene he is in.  The townspeople are all also generally note perfect, and really give life to the town of Punxsutawney, so much that I felt like I had lived there for all those days right alongside Phil.  Andie MacDowell is a relative weak spot, however.  She is certainly pretty, but lacks any real charisma, and it's hard to imagine exactly why Phil wanted to be with her so badly in the first place.  But that is a small complaint.  As a timeless, for-all-ages classic comedy that may actually make you think a little, it's hard to beat Groundhog Day.

Verdict: 8/10