Funny, innovative and Bill Murray.

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2013)

Say, how many times have you wished to live a day again? Maybe when you're really happy about something, so happy, in fact, that you want to live it through all over again. Maybe a most perfect day you could imagine. "Groundhog Day" isn't a movie about those days. It's about a guy who relives the day of the year he despises the most. Tall order, you think, but director Harold Ramis actually gets away with it. He assembles a movie so thoughtful, so intelligent and so funny that you end up having a great time even if the idea does seem a bit far-fetched.
We bump into Phil (Bill Murray), a cocky TV meteorologist who has to cover the Groundhog Day celebrations in Punxsutawney every year on February 2nd. Phil hates that part of his job. He's getting a better job, he brags at one point, so he won't have to go there again. Accompanying him on his little jaunt is Rita (Andie MacDowell), his producer, and Larry (Chris Elliott), his usual cameraman. Phil gets his weather calculations wrong on the big day and ends up being stuck in Punxsutawney after his broadcast because of a snowstorm. The next day, he wakes up to find himself living the same day over again. Initially surprised and spooked, he slowly begins to realize that he can't snap out of it unless the time loop is broken. As his frustrations quickly turn into mildly violent episodes, he begins to realize the other ways these odd circumstances could be used for.
"Groundhog Day" begins almost lazily as Ramis spends a considerable amount of time to build the story. But as the movie progresses, it grows increasingly engaging though there is a light risk of it being repetitive since the crux of the plot is about deja vu. Once we get the gist of what is about to unfold, the flow is impossible to stop. Smoothly edited and neatly written, "Groundhog Day" is a well-made crowd-pleaser that delights you with its wit. Cutting a fine line between a drama and a comedy, the film never takes itself too seriously. And therein lies its strength. Ramis is aware of the goofiness of the plot but the charming characters lead you to believe otherwise.
"Groundhog Day" misfires at times when he doesn't know what it wants to be. And that's aggravating to watch because the hesitancy translates on the screen. There were stretches of time when I had no clue what the movie eventually wanted but that niggle is rectified when it slides into a new soul later on.
The movie scores with its characters. Bill Murray is nothing short of terrific, bringing the much needed zing factor into the proceedings with his enthusiastic performance that is infectious. The beautiful MacDowell has never been so endearing and she delivers a nearly flawless performance that's nicely textured. Some of the secondary actors aren't as good, I'm afraid, because they are reduced to mere caricatures. But since they don't gobble up much of the screen-time, that doesn't pose as a major problem.
"Groundhog Day" is a charming, enjoyable fare that entertains and sermonizes in equal measure. If you're willing to overlook the minor hitches, it could be a movie that makes your day. And gives you a quick lesson in morals.