A totally flawless movie

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2003)

It's hard not to adore this film. I've seen it so many times I can speak along with the dialogue virtually throughout, but it loses none of its magic. Can there really be anyone left who hasn't heard the premise of this movie? If you are that person, then here it is: grumpy prima donna weatherman (Bill Murray), frustrated by being stuck on local news, is sent with his sexy new producer (Andie MacDowell) and irritating cameraman (Chris Elliot) to the backwater of all backwaters, Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania. Why? Because that's the centre of the Groundhog Day festival where, every February 2nd, America waits to see if there will be six more weeks of winter. Murray is bored and fed up after being sent to cover the story, but his distress only escalates when he realises he is stuck in Groundhog Day every day. No matter what he does, at 6am every morning he is back in his bed listening to Sonny and Cher.
This movie, while definitively romantic in places, is always, always imaginative. We follow Murray's character through depression at his time warp existence, joy at the fact he can do anything including steal thousands of dollars, determination when he realises that he can get to know MacDowell's Rita without her sensing his ulterior motives, and desolation again when he understands the meaninglessness of a life devoted to himself.
Although that all sounds kind of deep, the film is a total joy from start to finish, and you never realise you're being exposed to hardcore philosophical concepts as you see Murray scoffing cake in a diner. Enough laugh-out-loud moments to make this a comedy classic, Groundhog Day also has thoughtful and intelligent subtexts, which make it worth watching dozens of times. Fabulous entertainment.