Iconic Film, Though Perhaps Doesn't Try As Hard As It Should

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2017)

There is no doubt that "Groundhog Day" is an iconic film based on the concept alone. It can also be hilariously funny, a tribute to Bill Murray's deadpan style of humor. It has almost become as iconic on the holiday it depicts as the little rodent itself! All of that being said, "Groundhog Day" also strikes me as a movie that, if it would have tried just a bit harder, could have been an all-time classic, overtaking the cult/niche status it currently owns.
For a basic plot summary, "Groundhog Day" tells the story of Phil (Murray), a dissatisfied TV weather man in his fourth year of covering "that giant overgrown squirrel" in Punxsutawney. He goes through the motions, then gets stuck in the quaint PA town due to a horrendous blizzard. The next morning, he wakes up to the same song ("I Got You Babe") playing on the radioand discovers that it is the same day: February 2nd. Phil quickly discovers that he is trapped in a time loop of sorts, where the calendar resets to Feb. 2 at 6:00 AM each morning. At first, Phil is despondent about this life development on the day he so loathes, but as enough Feb 2's pile up he begins to realize the power that one person can have when given an unlimited quantity of time.
At its heart, "Groundhog Day" is a comedy and features some of the most hilarious moments every put to screen, including
-Phil's multiple reporting (with him becoming more exasperated and finally inspired) on the groundhog emerging from the burrow. -Stealing money from the bank truck by predicting a series of coordinated events. -Ned (Stephen Tobolowsky), that annoying former HS graduate of Phil's who eventually gets his comeuppance.
It helps that Murray is cast perfectly, as his deadpan expression and style of humor are spot-on for having him move from unlike-able to a somewhat sympathetic character by the end. There is even an attempt (yes, I say attemptsee below) at a romance with fellow news person Rita (Andie MacDowell) that tries to provide the emotional backbone of the film.
Here's the rub, though: "Groundhog Day" will never make it onto my "all-time classic" film list. I can watch it every few years, but that is about it. The reason? It's a film that seems to coast by on the high concept and Murray's popularity at the time. It's like the filmmakers said "we know we have a winner here" and as such didn't put the "finishing touches" on the product. Some of the things that bug me about the film include:
-The romance is so unrealistic that it is tough to get swept up in. Phil & Rita loathe each other at the beginning of each day, yet we are supposed to believe they can fall madly in love by the end of any given day. I realize that Phil's ability to show compassion is a key plot point, but I always found it a bit absurd that it could be towards/with Rita. -Do we ever actually figure out why Phil becomes stuck in the loop? I realize that isn't the point of the story, but it would have been nice to clarify what is happening. -This is going to sound like an oxymoron, but the middle gets a bit repetitive. I enjoyed "fearful Phil" when he is beginning to realize what is happening as well as "confident Phil" when he gets a handle on his surroundings, but the middle section dragged a bit in showing the same events perhaps a bit too much. I read that the original script had the viewer plopped into the middle of the sequence (instead of telling it chronologically), and I think I would have liked that better.
Overall, "Groundhog Day" is a solid, funny film that has come to personify the holiday it associates itself with (no small task in its own right). I can enjoy the concept and laugh at the best gags, but only in small doses (hence the four-star rating).