Near classic

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2003)

Groundhog Day is one of those movies you wish you could remake. This is not a criticism - it is a complement. The movie is based on such a powerful thematic idea - that of reliving a day over and over again until you get it right - that it deservers to become the kind of classic story, like A Christmas Carol, that is remade periodically every few years to see what a different cast and director can make of it.
For instance, the movie is in the comedy/drama/romance genres, but I felt the comedy should have given way a bit more clearly to drama when the emotional turning point is reached; but the point is that I cared enough about the idea to be interested in thinking about improving its execution. I thought about the movie quite a bit, in fact, and that is exceedingly rare for me. I think the theme is good enough for doctoral dissertations and certainly Sunday sermons.
And I keep finding myself humming "The Pennsylvania Polka".