Groundhog Day - A Groundbreaking Movie

                                      The most horrible thing about life is not knowing what's going to happen next. Or at least that's what we have thought up till now. But "Groundhog Day," brilliantly imaginative, wildly funny movie, demonstrates that there is something even more horrible -- knowing exactly what's going to happen next. It's deja vu gone mad. The premise of  Groundhog Day is essentially 'if you had to do it over again - and again - what would you do differently?.'

Plot 

     Phil (Bill Murray), an arrogant, narcissistic, cynical TV weatherman, is sent to Punxsatawney PA to cover the annual Groundhog Day Festival. After being the usual annoyance, especially to his co-workers Rita and Larry, a blizzard (that he failed to forecast) forces him to spend another night at his Punxsatawney bed & breakfast. He awakens next morning to find that it is Groundhog Day, again, and again, and again at 6 a.m., and moves on almost invariably....apparently he is doomed to repeat this day forever.

Analysis 

          Bill Murray's weatherman is tailor-made for his  screen persona. The entire movie rested on his shoulders. While all other actors had rather simple roles to repeat, his character was the only one being the aware the utter repetitiveness of his existence and thus the only one who was changing through the entire movie. It was really fine to see the different ways he reacted to the situation - anger, disbelief, despair and final acceptance - all that through the subtle gestures or one-liners.  Director Harold Ramis, has given us a spectacular product of comedy genre, with a solid and intelligent script from Danny Rubin. The other actors and their performances were, as someone should expect, shadowed by Bill Murray's role.

                              The humor is of a higher caliber than that found in most so-called comedies. Groundhog Day finds its humor in situations and characters. Show it to your friends and simply let them laugh at Murray's pranks, or take it deeper and discuss Murray's character growth as an example of spiritual awakening and moral enlightenment. Groundhog Day isn't a science fiction or fantasy film, so it's not interested in answering the technical questions of how the time loop came about. Instead, it presents the situation to the audience on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.  

                         On the surface,it might look like a silly comedy. But a closer look, reveals a beauty easily not seen. With all of the formula-driven, painfully unfunny comedies available today, it's a pleasure to uncover something as unique as Groundhog Day.

Trailer: 

Groundhog Day - Imdb