Year: 1993
Director: Harold Ramis
Country: U.S
Language: English
Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day is a film I have seen over and over and over again. On the surface it's a comedy, but it is incredibly deep. This film is full of wisdom, intelligence and remarkable life lessons. Every-time I view it I see something different, it speaks to me in new ways and tugs at my soul. It is a gem with a clown's face and isn't afraid to be pessimistic at times.
Groundhog Day centers on a weather man (Bill Murray) who is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.
"Ok campers, rise and shine. It's cold out there today, it's cold out there everyday." If the great American Director Frank Capra lived long enough to see Groundhog Day he wold have left the theatres in a jealous rage. It's a capra-esque film that is full of charm, wit, integrity and depression. The lead character named Phil is played by the great Bill Murray, who makes this film a pleasure to watch. His sarcastic sense of humor is absolutely perfect for the film, any other actor may have made the character a bit too goofy and unrealistic therefore completely ruining the film. His detached personality makes him, as Ebert says, "the Hamlet of the sitcom world."
"What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and everything that you did was the same, and nothing mattered?"
The Independant, a well known British newspaper, has claimed that Groundhog Day is "hailed by religious leaders as the most spiritual film of all time." Indeed the Vatican once named this film one of the most spiritually important films of all time. Ramis' film contains a remarkable amount of truth about life. For instance there are a lot of people like Phil, who are pessimistic about life and physically live the same routine over and over, therefore everyday is pretty much the same. Groundhog Day teaches you to be optimistic and make the most out of life, if you wish to learn the piano or write a book then do it! At the very least you should rebel against a highly scheduled life, be different and find your own happiness, whatever that may be.
In conclusion, while this review likely only touched the surface regarding what Groundhog Day is about, it's impossible to deny that this is a really important film. The plot could have just remained a novelty, but Ramis and Murray do something incredibly special with it by making it meaningful. The film never degrades into a soppy mess, it is emotionally honest from the very beginning. Praise it! 5/5
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