| Groundhog Day | | Cast : | Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell | | Director : | Harold Ramis | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | February 12, 1993 | | DVD Released Date : | January 29, 2002 | | Language : | Unknown (Dubbed), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Thai (Subtitled), Chinese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 12, 2005 | | Summary | Woodstock rocks!!! | Content
 | I live a half block away from where this movie was filmed! But I'm 11, and it was made in 1992. Aw. But we hava a plaqe in the square where Bill Murray stepped. So coolness!! |
| Rating | | | Date | July 11, 2005 | | Summary | Everyone's favorite | Content
| I don't have any particular comment regarding the special edition because I have the original DVD release, I am just logging in this review because I want to jump in the band wagon. You can mention this movie or make allegorical references to it during family get togethers, in the breakroom or when things are kinda slow at work and you will always get a favorable response and then everyone starts mentioning their favorites scene or what they would do if they get stuck in a time warp. Until now, I haven't found anyone that has anything bad to say about this movie, so it is safe to say that it has achieved a cult status, I think we can all agree on this one. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 25, 2005 | | Summary | Wonderful Film | Content
| This is one of my faves...and whats interesting, like the movie...I can watch it over and over.
I am not a Bill Murray fan ie his dramatic roles but I like his style of comedy. His co-star is ideal for the role...and is easy on the eyes. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 19, 2005 | | Summary | A highly entertaining fantasy | Content
| How would you like to live the same day over and over? Well, for some of us, it feels that way occasionally. But in this fantasy, our hero does just that. He keeps living the same day over again, trying different things each time, learning from his mistakes, and getting more and more talented. It's a great concept for a movie, and it is a great comedy.
One minor change I would have made in the movie is this: I would have had some indicator so the audience would know just how many times our hero had gone through the day. Early in the movie, that number might read 1, then 2, then 3. But later, it might be a hilariously large number.
Now, is there a profound concept behind all this? Um, I don't think so. If I had to live through thousands of similar days, would I try to get better at music or art? Maybe! And sooner or later, I might start phoning up all sorts of scientists, find out what theoretical problems they were working on, and, eventually, solve them. After that, I'd be phoning those scientists to tell them the answers to their problems, on the spot. I'd also be finding a way to do all sorts of computer searches each day, systematically looking for needle-in-haystack kinds of solutions to problems. Eventually, I'd find some interesting stuff. And it would be easy to prepare an absolutely unbelievable chess opening book (although one would have to memorize it). Oh, there is plenty even one person could accomplish, given enough time. If you watch this movie, you'll find that you'll wonder about what you might do with so many chances to live a day over and over. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 11, 2005 | | Summary | Great in spite of some cheap laughs and oversentimentality | Content
| This film has been shown in Eastern Philosophy classes to put reincarnation in simple context. Some of the more profound implications of the scenario were unfortunately scrapped to play to a mainstream audience. Nevertheless the pros outweigh the cons, one being a great vehicle for Bill Murray's improvisation.
There is at least one implication of the scenario overlooked by almost everyone: namely if Bill Murray lives the same day over and over then what happens to everyone else in the world? The only possible solution to this, considering noone else is living it over and over (that we know of), is the many worlds theory. So each new twist of the day creates a new scenario that of course gets played out in the universe that the film's Phil doesn't get to see. So when Phil commits suicide, he really DOES die in that alternate world. So what's happening obviously is his MEMORIES of reliving the same day with different scenarios keep building up more and more.
So how do these memories get transmuted back to him each 6AM on February 2nd? The original script explained it as a former girlfriend casting a spell on him. In reincarnation theory what dies isn't consciousness, but memory, and some anecdotes exist of those who recall past lives. So what could account for Phil? Somehow the spell would have to stop the death of memory so he not only keeps remembering the future 24 hours, but remembers all the OTHER future 24 hours. The writer estimated 10 years worth, though the original script called for 10,000 years worth of Feb. 2s, which as you can imagine would make this that much more hellish. The fact that Phil starts out each day the same physically shows that the only thing caught in the time loop is his memory.
Now, I like the dialogue and find it funny, but one must admit some of it is strictly cheap laughs. But as far as any overall "moral message" it gets lost in oversentimentality especially at the end. The message is suppose to be that we must keep repeating things until we get them right; problem is the way Phil chooses to get things right is to YES, use TRICKS to get what he wants, which is Rita (Andie MacDowell). The first night he gets her home she is wise to him, but the last he so utilizes
the TRICKS as to impress her beyond belief. Remember that close to to last night he tells her the truth of how he knows so much, but NOT the last "perfect" day. On THAT day he basically lies to her by impressing her WITHOUT telling her the reason he is able to do so. So actually the film's moral reads: become a master of deceit to get what you want.
If the film took the more profound path instead of playing to the mainstream it would have been a classic. As it is it's a very good comedy...but it could have been so much more.
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