<b>Groundhog Day</b>
I am so impressed with this movie that I ended up requesting the same through <i><b>MouthPad</b></i> after I found out that it is missing the product list. This is one of those awfully under-rated movies such as ’’The Usual Suspects’’.
<b>First Impressions</b>
I happened to see this movie in a 3-day long workshop conducted by my firm for mid-level managers( should I say, damagers??). A team of behavioral scientists conducted the session and we were asked to analyze this movie frame by frame. Belive me! It was so haunting task and entertaining one. A chilling experience it is.
Now coming to the point, the movie’s tag-line was “He’s having the worst day of his life... over, and over...” which by the end changes into “He’s having the day of his life...over and over again.”. Well, that was easy isn’t it? Those two taglines should tell you the story of the movie. This is a wonderful movie which tells you how to make best of each moment we have. How to enjoy things in life as they come to you? How to enjoy things without any cribs? How to improve rather mundane things that surround you to take a positive approach in life? How can you enhance things in life.
<b>Story</b>
<b>Bill Murray</b> plays a disgruntled meteorologist (Phil) who works for a small-town TV station as a weatherman, in Pennsylvania. He is embarrassed that he still has to do gigs like the local groundhog festival in a town called Punxsutawany. A groundhog named Phil is used to predict the length of winter remaining (This is 50% accurate!!). As it happens, the last place that Phil wants to be is the place where he must remain. He wakes up the morning after to discover that he is reliving the previous day. With each passing day (the same day that is), Phil realizes that there are no rules for him because each day he is given a second chance. No rules means no consequences. He attempts to woo the luminous <b>Andie MacDowell</b>(in her best role as Rita) who is a producer for the station, but after repeated failures, he starts killing himself off. This is the darkly comic part of the movie, especially the kidnapping of Phil the groundhog. Etc etc.
You gotta think for a moment here. Every Groundhog day is repeated again and again and again. In effect, Phil improvises and thinks/stores the data he gathers and in-effect becomes a better person each day.
I shall save the ending for your viewing pleasure. Truly, if you follow this movie frame by frame, you will love it the most.
This movie has become one of my personal favorites so far.
<b>Technicalities</b>
<i>Cast</i>
Bill Murray ====> Phil Connors
Andie MacDowell ====> Rita
Chris Elliott (I) ====> Larry
Stephen Tobolowsky ====> Ned Ryerson
Brian Doyle-Murray ====> Buster
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<i>Directed by</i>
Harold Ramis ( A great director who directed movies such as Analyze That, Bedazzled, Analyze This, Multiplicity, National Lampoons Vacation, Caddyshack and writer for innumerous comedies)
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<i>Writer</i>
Danny Rubin
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Original Music
George Fenton
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Cinematography
John Bailey
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Film Editing by
Pembroke J. Herring
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<b>Final Cut</b>
I have seen this movie innumerous number of times, after the first view. It is quite fantabulous one. It teaches something for life, albeit being a comedy. This movie is not a slap-stick like Ghostbusters (which Ramis wrote) and all.
Actually Ramis considered <b>Tom Hanks</b> for this role and thought he was too nice to do some scenes. I wonder it would’ve been wonderful, if Tom acted in this movie.
Actually it is said that Phil repeats 10 years of Groundhog day(3650++ days!!!) to become a nice man! One may have to emulate similar trait in real life to be a master.
Although this is a comedy there are some genuinely thought-provoking issues raised - Phil learns (and through him we realise) that one can never plan for spontaneity, and an impulsive moment’s beauty lies in the fact that it ’just happens’. The film’s biggest downfall is probably its predictability. Despite the various entertaining shenanigans en route, we just know that in the end Phil will have learned some Valuable Lessons and become a Nice Guy.
This is a definite watch with your family.
Hope that Helps
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Your comments are most welcome
Inquizitor