My First Time: GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)

Watched in: June 2019

Didn't like ▢ Alright ▢ Liked ✔︎ Loved ▢

Would I watch it again: Yes, but not for a while

Would I recommend?: Yes

Watchability: Medium

Watch with: Family ▢ Friends ✔︎ Self ▢

I recently watched Groundhog Day for the first time, dir. by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. This film tends to divide people, and I've heard people call it their least favourite film ever, while others don't mind it at all. This is what I thought...

Plot & Story

I thought the concept of the film itself was very interesting, waking up and reliving the same day over and over, and its a concept that's been mirrored many times since. Due to the repetitive nature of the story itself I expected the film to become repetitive too, as I expected to be watching the same thing over and over, as this is what people who dislike the film tend to focus on. While there was a fair amount of repeating scenes I didn't find it tedious as I'd feared, and instead found it really interesting and necessary, as it built the character and helped us really get into the flow of what we were seeing. The lack of explanation as to why this was happening was really intriguing too, as it allowed room for audience speculation, which is always fun, and put us on par with Phil in his confusion and frustration at the whole scenario. I think this is part of what annoys some people about this film however, because we truly get given no ideas as to why this is happening which could be very frustrating for some people. I personally really enjoyed the mystery of it all however, and I think it plays a bit part of why the film is now so successful.

Characters & Performances

For me, Bill Murray is always a winner, and he was perfect for this role, making you hate the main character straight off the bat and then wonder if you should or not. This is a really interesting trait for a main character, as typically you're supposed to like them, but I think that was the whole point so he was able to redeem himself later. I really enjoyed his character development, and we watch him go through all these different ways to pass the time which show us he is only human and thus reacts how anyone else would to being given unlimited time, eventually settling on trying to win his girl. I enjoyed the dynamic between Phil and Rita, and watching them grow and come together was cool, though I have my doubts about how successful Phil would have been getting Rita to fall in love with him in just one day, even though for him its a lifetime. MacDowell's performance was lovely, and this must have been a challenging role, as typical on screen romances are written to blossom over the course of the hour and a half movie, this one is forced to kick into gear really quickly, and MacDowell makes us believe she really is falling for him that quickly.

Direction & Cinematography

Visually, this film looks pretty run of the mill; its nice enough to look at, but nothing to write home about. The direction however must have been fairly complicated to shoot, as many of the scenes would have had to be near replicas of each other so the repeats could be authentic. The actors and the crew must have found it very strange, literally being trapped shooting the same scenes over and over again. The storytelling was really good considering many of the characters only had one day to live over and over again, so character development and growth would have been a struggle to make look natural and convincing.

Personal Opinons

The storyline is definitely one of a kind, showing us interesting character development and inspiring future films with similar ideas. It's very funny, and although a smidge dark at times, its a feel good film that doesn't take a whole lot of energy to watch. It splits opinions, and I can kind of see why, as the repetitive nature could grate on some people. I think its a must-see at least once, if not just because its so prominent in pop culture nowadays.

Final rating: ★★★★☆

Do you like Groundhog Day? Let me know in the comments below!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/