Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (Trapped in Time in Spain, Groundhog Day in Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela and Hechizo del tiempo in the rest of Latin America) is a 1993 American fantasy film with a high metaphysical content directed by Harold Ramis, and starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin. Murray plays Phil Connors, an arrogant Pittsburgh television meteorologist who, while covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, that same day he finds himself trapped in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over again. After falling into hedonism and attempting suicide numerous times, he begins to re-examine his life and his priorities.
Upon its release, Groundhog Day was a modest success and received generally positive reviews. It gained a stronger appreciation among critics and film historians over time, and is often ranked among the best comedy films of all time. It also entered the public consciousness, where the term "Day of the Groundhog" it can represent a situation that seems to repeat itself over and over again in the government and military arena, as well as influence other entertainment. In 2006, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'. It is listed in AFI's Top 10 American Films. Top 10, in the "Fantastic Film" category. A musical version of the story was released in 2016.
Plot
Meteorologist for a Pittsburgh television station, Phil Connors (Bill Murray), accompanied by his new producer Rita (Andie MacDowell), goes with his recording technician, Larry (Chris Elliott), to Punxsutawney, a small town of Pennsylvania in which, every February 2, in the dead of winter, the behavior of a groundhog at the local holiday determines how much time is left until the end of the cold season, the famous Groundhog Day, Phil is a man frustrated in his ambitions and bored with his job, selfish, rude and in his arrogance, he thinks that his professional career is not advancing as fast as it deserves.
After the groundhog performance is shot and broadcast on television, the small group returns to Pittsburgh so they can cover the 5 p.m. forced to spend the night in town, he returns to his hotel room, a large house converted into a hostel for tourists. The next morning the alarm goes off with the same music from the day before ("I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher) and the radio show, as he gets dressed and goes to the dining room for breakfast, the incredulous Phil leaves realizing that he is living groundhog day again.
After repeating this situation several times, Phil discovers that he is the only one aware of this strange phenomenon of time and decides to take advantage of the information he obtains each day, to benefit "the next day" when everything is repeated again, for several days and "later" He decides to make his editor fall in love with no luck, day after day he is rejected, the situation of repeating the same day affects his mind, so he decides to commit suicide to try to get out of the effect of time, thinking that within that time loop he will never achieve his goal. love for which his life is meaningless, he steals a car with the groundhog and throws himself off a cliff on the outskirts of town, but again he wakes up in the morning like every day, so he tries other ways of committing suicide (he throws himself off a building, gets into the bathtub with an electric toaster, etc.), but all of them prove useless and each time he wakes up again on February 2, the same day as Groundhog. As this does not work he becomes depressed, but advised by his director Rita, one day when he wakes up and does not want to leave the hotel, he realizes that he can improve his life as a benefactor who helps others.
In this way, he begins a daily life doing good to whomever is in need, such as helping someone who is choking by applying the Heimlich maneuver, changing the wheel of the car belonging to two old women, saving a child from falling from a tree, but he becomes discouraged Not being able to save the life of an indigent old man, who every day asked him for help on a street corner, after taking him to a hospital to receive emergency medical attention, he always dies, one day when he wants to see the death file, the nurse gives him some comfort by saying "it was his time".
Finally, Connors can be seen developing and vastly improving his skills: learning to play the piano like a virtuoso at a jazz club, ice sculpting at an exhibit in the park, speaking French, and memorizing the lives of the townspeople. from town; he even studies medicine to save the old man's life. By improving his physical abilities as well as performing his behavior, he is now appreciated by the people of Punxsutawney. Then he confesses his true love to Rita and decides to live the present time with her, all the inhabitants of the town surround him, she accepts him and thus the mysterious phenomenon of the cycle of time is broken, finally waking up on a new day of the February 3, to be happy with his life, now become a kind and generous man, loved by all.
Awards
- 1993: BAFTA Awards: Best original script
- 1993: New York Critics Circle: Nominated for Best Screenplay
Cast
- Bill Murray like Phil Connors.
- Andie MacDowell like Rita.
- Chris Elliott like Larry.
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson.
- Brian Doyle-Murray as Buster Green.
- Rick Ducommun like Gus.
- Rick Overton like Ralph.
- Robin Duke like Doris, the waitress.
- Marita Geraghty like Nancy Taylor.
- Michael Shannon like Fred.
- Harold Ramis as a neurologist.
- Catherine Seathajohnz as Lorna Potter