Groundhog Day

February 2, 2013 - A disgruntled TV weatherman must live Groundhog Day over and over until he makes the necessary attitude adjustments to move on. Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell star in this 1993 film from director Harold Ramis, who also co-wrote the script. The supporting cast includes Chris Elliott and Brian Dyole-Murray.

Bill Murray plays Phil, the main weatherman at a TV station in Pittsburgh. MacDowell is Rita, a newly hired producer, and Elliott is cameraman Larry. The station sends the three to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the annual Groundhog Day celebration. Phil notes that he's been given the assignment several years in a row and the novelty of having his meteorological training take a back seat to a groundhog named Phil wore off long ago. Rita and Larry are excited, but their enthusiasm is no match for Phil's sarcasm.

On the way back to Pittsburgh, a blizzard, which Phil failed to forecast, forces the crew to return to Punxsutawney for another night. But, when Phil wakes up in the morning, he realizes that it's Groundhog Day again. As that scenario plays out repeatedly, Phil tries anything and everything to break the cycle. He also takes advantage of the opportunity to do good deeds and to make Rita fall in love with him.

Overall review: *** Bill Murray carries this movie, which is a good thing because this movie is all about Phil. It's about Phil coming to terms with life rather than expecting life to come to terms with him. Murray's performance makes the film worth watching, which is a good thing because it tends to get repetitive (as you might expect when you're living the same day over and over).

And, maybe it's just me taking a comedy too seriously, but I have a lot of questions. For example, why does Phil get trapped in this Groundhog Day hell? Why is Phil the only one who remembers what happened from one Groundhog Day to the next? If Phil can change his actions from Groundhog Day to Groundhog Day, how does that affect the characters he comes in contact with, characters who, we assume, are NOT stuck in the same loop (otherwise they would remember, too, wouldn't they)? These are all questions I wouldn't mind asking the writer and director, but I have a feeling the answer would be, "Who cares? It's a comedy! Just enjoy it!"