In my almost three-quarters of a century alive, I have sometimes wished for a “do-over” day. These are for times I was too snarky or said something I regretted the second after I closed my mouth. Perhaps I needed extra time to complete a necessary task or do something I dreamed of accomplishing. Maybe it was about spending double the time with my children and grandchildren, finishing that great book, sightseeing, and having precious seconds with loved ones who are dead or still alive. Repeating a day could bring about a myriad of changes to conversations, actions, and even basic personalities. It could make a difference in anyone’s attitude, outlook, and perspective. I am sure I am not the only one who has yearned for this concept every so often. But what would it be like if a person got stuck in repeating the same day over and over? How would they handle the repetition without seeing an end to this conundrum? What if it lasted a decade? Would they crack from the boredom, commit violent acts, or reinvent the nature of their soul?
This is exactly what happened to Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in the comedic 1993 film, GROUNDHOG DAY. There was no rhyme or reason why Phil had to go through this time warp. It was truly just a blip along the universe’s timeline, and through it all, audiences watched Phil complete the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression) until he reached the final emotion of acceptance and the alarm clock clicked to 6:01 AM, the beginning of the next day.
The film takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2nd, GROUNDHOG DAY. This is when a groundhog will make its way out of their shelter. If the big squirrel-like creature sees his shadow, there’ll be six more weeks of winter. It is an old tradition rooted in folklore and will take place in just a few days. Weathermen are suckers for wild predictions, and Phil was no different than all the rest. This crazy role was Bill Murray. And to “prove” it, he got severely bitten twice by the groundhog during filming. He ended up getting extremely painful rabies shots. The first time he was bit was right after Bill ad-libbed the infamous line, “Don’t drive angry.”
Harold Ramos, the director looked at many actors for Phil’s part including Tom Hanks and John Travolta, but he thought they were too nice in real life. He needed an actor who had that angry, dissatisfied veneer and a smirky smile. Bill Murray was type-cast. Many of the funniest lines in the movie were improvised by Bill including the final line, “OK, we’ll just rent.” Harold and Bill were a dynamic duo who worked together for years after. Casting Andie MacDowell as Rita was pure genius. The differences between the two romantic leads were startling but worked perfectly. She was the catalyst that drove Phil in his quest to become a better man without even realizing it. Rita’s quiet, quirky mannerisms were illuminated by Phil’s bombastic physicality. (As was Larry played by Chris Elliott and Ned portrayed by Stephen Tobolowsky.) The ensemble cracked me up every time. “Am I right, or am I right?”
GROUNDHOG DAY is an intriguing tale that is charming, sweet, poignant, romantic, and hilarious. It hits all the right buttons for a classic that goes down smoother than “vermouth on the rocks with a twist.” It is delightfully entertaining, and every time I hear the song, I GOT YOU, BABE, by Sonny and Cher, my heart skips a beat as I can check out my ticking clocks.
Yes…”today is tomorrow.” Happy GROUNDHOG DAY! It is available on AMC.
