“What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and everything that you did was the same, and nothing mattered?” Bill Murray, Groundhog Day, 1993
Every year, on February 2, people in the United States and Canada celebrate Groundhog Day. The most famous celebration is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, with the infamous weather prognosticating groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. Much of Punxy Phil’s popularity stems from the 1993 movie titled Groundhog Day.
“Do you ever have déjà vu?”
In this comedy, directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, viewers watch an egotistical and sarcastic weatherman from Pittsburgh forced to cover Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The weatherman Phil Connors, played by Murray, wakes up the next morning to discover that it is once again February 2, Groundhog Day. The events of the previous day are repeating and only Phil is aware of it.
The movie continues in this way as viewers, along with Phil, try to discover what action he can take to stop this time continuum and get to the next day. Phil goes through confusion, anger and suspicion, before turning to hedonism, suicidal actions and finally self-improvement to change his fate as Groundhog Day repeats over and over again.
When February 3 finally appears, Phil is happy and in love with his news producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). He is a changed man; improved because he has taken the time to better himself. All of this is done with the impeccable comedic timing of Bill Murray.
On the surface, Groundhog Day was one mere lighthearted comedy among many frivolous comedies of the early 1990s. Even film critic Roger Ebert in his original 1993 review claimed only that the film was, “lovable and sweet.”
On January 30, 2005, Ebert re-reviewed the movie and conceded that he had not realized the full gravity and importance of the film on first viewing. He stated:
“Certainly I underrated it in my original review; I enjoyed it so easily that I was seduced into cheerful moderation. But there are a few films, and this is one of them, that burrow into our memories and become reference points. When you find yourself needing the phrase This is like ‘Groundhog Day’ to explain how you feel, a movie has accomplished something.”
Groundhog Day in All Aspects of Life
Indeed, this small comedy inspired the phrase “Groundhog Day” to mean something much deeper than the prediction of weather by a rodent. That something was the reference to an unpleasant situation that repeated itself over and over. The term began popping up everywhere from music to sports, theology and philosophy and even economics.
In 2007, Iraq war vet and syndicated columnist, Col. Austin Bay wrote a book entitled, “Embrace the Suck: A Pocket Guide to Milspeak,” in which he claimed the term “Groundhog Day” was American military slang for any tour of duty in Iraq. Bay wrote, “[the] term suggests the days never change – always long and hot, and the same events keep recurring.”
“Groundhog Day” speeches were given by presidents and dignitaries, including former United States President Bill Clinton. During remarks to American Troops at Tuzla Airfield in Bosnia-Herzegovina in January 1996, Clinton made a clear reference to the movie and the use of the term by military personnel in Bosnia.
Philosophically, the film has become a parable of self-improvement and enlightenment. In bettering oneself, the outside world will also benefit from that goodness. Once the soul is healthy and giving there is hope that one can get to a new day and a more satisfying ending.
While Catholics tend to see the movie as a cinematic representation of Purgatory, Buddhists are quite taken with the message of the film. The idea of self reflection as a means of being reborn is in line with the Buddhist message of transcendence.
Awards for Groundhog Day
In January 2009, literary theorist and legal scholar, Stanley Fish, wrote an opinion article for The New York Times about the 10 Best American Movies of all time. Among classics such as Sunset Boulevard, Raging Bull and Vertigo was Groundhog Day. Fish claims, “The miracle is that as the movie becomes more serious, it becomes funnier. The comedy and the philosophy (how shall one live?) do not sit side by side, but inhabit each other in a unity that is incredibly satisfying.”
It was the only movie released after 1980 to even make the list. Clearly not just Fish’s opinion, Groundhog Day has a long line of accolades.
A short list of the awards and recognition for Groundhog Day:
- 34th – American Film Institute’s List of 100 Funniest Movies
- 8th – American Film Institute’s 10 Top 10 List of Fantasy Films
- British Comedy Award, 1993
- 32nd – Bravo’s “100 Funniest Movies”
- Ranked 27th on The Writers Guild of America list of 101 Greatest Screenplays ever written
For a movie with such flippant quotes as, “too early for flapjacks,” it certainly touched many aspects of popular culture. From religious connotations to military lingo, or perhaps just a way for a regular movie watcher to pass a rainy afternoon, Groundhog Day will live on. Day after day after day after day after...
Sources:
- Groundhog Day, Columbia Pictures, 1993
- “Groundhog Day,” Roger Ebert, www.rogerebert.com, Feb. 12, 1993
- “Groundhog Day: The Shadow of His Smile,” Roger Ebert, Rogerebert.com Jan. 20, 2005
- “The 10 Best American Movies,” Stanley Fish, The New York Times, Jan. 4, 2009
- “Groundhog Almighty,” Alex Kuczynski, The New York Times, Dec. 7, 2003
Kerri Carpenter - Kerri Carpenter is a freelance writer who hails from the Pittsburgh area. She now lives in Arlington, VA. Besides writing, she enjoys ...
