The Overlooked Gem that Deserved a Best Picture Nomination

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2000)

A Capra-esque piece of serio-comic fantasy, "Groundhog Day" was rightly hailed by critics and the public in 1993, and subsequently robbed of a Best Picture nomination in the year of "Schindler's List," "In the Name of the Father" and "The Piano." Was "The Fugitive" REALLY a better movie than this extrememly clever, heartfelt film? I don't think so.
Bill Murray was perfect as Phil Connors, and watching his character evolve from smarmy misanthrope to playful Don Juan to a hopeless suicide case to a true romantic is a joy. Long before the Academy's snub of Murray's "Rushmore" performance, they snubbed him for this almost forgotten gem.