One of the funniest and original "philosophical" comedies

Rating: 10/10 (21 March 2015)

This is one of the first movies I bought on DVD after the technology came out in 1997 in the U.S. It is an ideal movie to watch when one feels blue or down in the dumps. Its humorous script and scenes always give me many laughs. Besides the humorous situations Bill Murray's Phil gets into, this film has a distinct message. It is a morality play without being preachy. It lets us see the consequences of living a selfish hedonistic life versus a decent unselfish life. And, it's all done with great humor.
The genius of Harold Ramis as a comedy writer is apparent in this film. Ramis wrote some of the funniest scripts of the last half of the 20th century (besides "Groundhog Day" – "Caddyshack" in 1980, "Stripes" in 1981, "Ghostbusters" in 1984 and others). The trivia section has an interesting item under the IMDb biography of Ramis. He and Bill Murray had a falling out over "Groundhog Day" that ended their collaboration on films. The item refers to an interview Ramis gave. He said the falling out was "due to differing views on what the film should be about (Murray wanted it to be more philosophical, Ramis wanted it to be a comedy)." That seems sad and ironic because this film turned out to be such a great philosophical comedy.
I don't know if anyone else has tried to count the number of times that Phil wakes up to the same day, Feb. 2 in this film. The advantage of a DVD makes it a little easier to do that; but still, some of the repetitious scenes flash so quickly that it takes some effort, and sitting through the film a few times to try to nail down the number. My count is 39 times, with the 40th occurrence being Feb. 3. If we were to figure how much time it would take Phil to learn the things he does – French poetry, playing the piano, ice sculptor, and to do all the good deeds he does, who knows how many days that would take in reality. A big majority of the scenes are his failures that also provide much of the humor. But, toward the end of those, the sense of futility that we viewers begin to feel starts to wear on the humor. So, the filmmakers timed it perfectly and at that point Phil is inspired to turn around – by something that Rita says. Andie MacDowell plays Phil's TV producer, Rita, very well; and Chris Elliott is very good as Larry, the cameraman.
Phil's repeated days probably would have totaled a year or more. The only incongruity in the logic of the plot is at the end. But, without it, the film ending wouldn't make sense. The one characteristic throughout the film up to that point is that only Phil has his days repeated. To everyone else, it's Feb. 2 for the first and only time. And, every day Phil begins with the knowledge (lessons) of the previous repeated days. The accumulation of the days and their experiences explains how Phil can progress from one day to the next when he begins to read, study, play the piano, etc. Of course, some scenes would be a little different over time – i.e., Phil being able to play the piano a little better on succeeding days with his piano teacher, played by Peggy Roeder.
So, for the final February 2, all the people whom Phil has encountered on his many repeated days of Feb. 2 now know him fairly well. It's not likely that he would have been able to do all of what he did in one day, so now all the other characters also have a cumulative memory of days knowing Phil in the past. As I said, it's the only way it makes sense. I wouldn't normally dissect a film this much, but "Groundhog Day" is such a unique concept for a movie that it invites this sort of circumspection and analysis.
Here are a few choice lines that alone give a laugh each time. Phil, "Out in California, they'll have warm weather tomorrow gang wars and some very overpriced real estate. Up in the Pacific Northwest, as you can see, they're going to have some very tall trees."
Phil, "Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster." Mrs. Lancaster, "I don't think so, but I could check with the kitchen."
On the phone in his room, Phil: "Yeah, sport. I know there's a blizzard. When are the long distance lines gonna be repaired? Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today . Hello?  Hello?"
Phil, "What would you do if you were stuck in one place  and every day was exactly the same, and nothing you did mattered?" Ralph, "That about sums it up for me."
Gus, "Hey, Phil. If we wanted to hit mailboxes, we could let Ralph drive."
The dinner scene with Rita is a riot when Phil asks her what she is looking for in a man. She describes admirable traits, and Phil says, "Me  me  me." She describes some more, and Phil answers, "Me  me . Me." Rita, "He's not afraid to cry in front of me." Phil, "This is a man we're talking about, right?" Rita, "He likes animals, children, and he'll change poopy diapers." Phil, "Does he have to use the word, 'poopy?'" Rita, "Oh, and he plays an instrument, and he loves his mother." Phil, "I am really close on this one. Really, really close."
"Groundhog Day" is one of the best comedies of all time. It's sure to tickle a funny bone. It is sophisticated comedy that older kids and adults should enjoy immensely.