GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) - FAVORITE SEASONAL MOVIE #1

GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)

Rated PG - Rotten Tomatoes freshness score 93%, Popcornmeter 88%, IMDB rating 8.0/10

Synopsis:

Phil Connors is a narcissistic weatherman who thinks it's beneath him to travel yet again to Punxsutawney, PA, to cover the emergence of Phil, the Groundhog, the world's most famous weatherman.  Yet, here he is, with his producer and a camera man.  With the job done, they head home, but they are stopped by a blizzard and have to return to Punxsutawney.  Phil simply can't believe that he has to spend one more night in that backward hick town.  The next morning, Phil wakes up to a radio show that's the exact same as the day before, and when he looks outside, there's no snow on the ground, like the blizzard never happened!  When he leaves his room he has the exact same interactions with the exact same people he did the day before.  It's Groundhog Day, AGAIN.  This happens over and over, and every day when Phil wakes up, it's Groundhog Day!  He eventually realizes that he's stuck in a time loop, and nothing he does matters, and that no matter what he does, there will be no consequences.  Is there anything that he can do to escape this time loop?

Thoughts:

How long is Phil caught in this time loop?  The filmmakers deliberately keep this a secret.  According to Wikipedia, we see Phil experience 38 days during the movie, but according to some estimates, in order to acquire the skills he eventually shows, he would need to be in the time loop for at least 30 years!!  

The character arc of Phil Connors is amazing.  The way he starts focusing outward instead of inward, and the way he's able to become a favorite of the town of Punxsutawney in just one day of their lives is so interesting.  

My family has watched Groundhog Day to commemorate Groundhog Day for many years.  We make a groundhog cake and invite friends to join in.  While Groundhog Day is certainly not a major American holiday, it's celebrated annually at our house!

We love this movie...it's extremely quotable, and we quote it all the time.  Here's a favorite quote of mine, "He might be okay.  Well, no, probably not now."