By Michael Lyons
“What if there is no tomorrow?!? There wasn’t one today!”
This line of dialogue from 1993’s “Groundhog Day” is not only witty, it’s the movie’s theme in one of film’s most original comedies.
Hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since “Groundhog Day” debuted in theaters. This anniversary, coupled with the fact that Punxsutawney Phil is about to emerge this week in Pennsylvania, to hold our extended winter or early Spring in his little paws, it seems the perfect time to celebrate director Harold Ramis’ comedy masterpiece.
Anyone even remotely familiar with movie, comedy or even groundhogs knows the story by now. Bill Murray plays dour, cynical weatherman Phil Connors, who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual ritual reveal of groundhog Phil and the prediction for our upcoming weather.
A snow storm traps Phil Connors in the small town and, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, he finds himself re-living the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over and over and over again...until he realizes just how to make the day, and himself, better.
More than just a gimmick, “Groundhog Day” is one of the most reflective and philosophical comedies ever made. If life is an endless boring replay of the same places and faces, how do we find our own inner peace and joy in that?
Bill Murray is at his most, well, Bill Murray as Phil. No other comedic actor could have pulled off the smart aleck attitude, slow burns and eventual explosions as he does. His performance here is a brilliant blend of the comic and the tragic.
Director Ramis was given a most difficult task within “Groundhog Day.” The film is a marvel of continuity, as the same scenes from each day are played out again and again with different reactions and scenarios.
All of it to hilarious comedic effect, as audiences are in on the joke, knowing how the scene should play out and waiting to see how it changes during one of the repeated days (It’s still easy to chuckle as the alarm clock changes to 6:00 am and “I’ve Got You Babe” begins to play).
Within these days, we get to meet the solid, supporting cast, including Andie MacDowell, bringing heart to what could have been a thankless role, filled with nothing but straight lines. There’s also the always hysterical character actor Stephen Tobolowksy, as a long lost friend of Phil’s, that he meets over and over again to hysterical effect.
The real wonder of “Groundhog Day” is the script, written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, who came up with the story. Deep at the core of the film is the unspoken theme to make the most of each day, no matter how mundane or repetitive it may seem. Like Phil Connors in the film, who pulls himself out of a very dark place to make the most of the small marvels in the small town around him, each of us can find the beauty in each new day.
Released on February 12, 1993, “Groundhog Day” is that rare film that’s become part of our pop culture and our lexicon. If someone says, “I felt like I was stuck in Groundhog Day,” we know exactly what they mean.
Few movies have done that. Two and half decades later, it’s safe to say that if there really is no tomorrow, “Groundhog Day” would be the perfect movie to watch...over and over and over and over again!
Sources: Wikipedia
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