Review of Groundhog Day (1993) by Berc — 29 May 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "Groundhog Day":

First and foremost: Bill Murray. Seriously, how can you not like this man's performance? It takes a very skilled actor to craft an arrogant, sarcastic, unlovable **** of a character and actually turn him into someone the viewer cares about by the end of the film. The man is a genius with his delivery of lines, his facial expressions are dead on in every scene, and the suffering he feels over his burgeoning humanity can be shared by each and every member of the audience. Andie MacDowell creates a wonderful counterpoint to Murray as well. The semi-awkward chemistry they share feels natural and unrehearsed, both when it's obvious she is supposed to be disgusted by Murray's egocentrism and when she is supposed to be falling for his cute attempts at chivalry. I also feel that one of the most genuinely romantic segments of any film released from the nineties can be found in this movie: Murray and MacDowell dancing in the gazebo to the Ray Charles version of "You Don't Know Me." I often wonder how many guys in real life tried to recreate that scene on one of their own dates. I'm betting there were at least a few who did.

What I Personally Disliked About "Groundhog Day":

My worst complaint for this film is the schizophrenic nature of the comedy. The subtle bits work well; particularly the many deaths of Phil Connors montage (and the subsequent discussion about Phil's status as a deity) and the gluttonous indulgence Phil displays with the sweets and coffee. However, the blatant attempts to lighten the mood with material such as driving on the railroad tracks or the stealing of the groundhog just seem too over-the-top when trying to fit into the general mood of the film. They stick out like sore thumbs which have been hit by twenty pound hammers, to be frank. But that is a minor quibble which can be overlooked by the magnificence of the remainder of the movie.

My Overall Impression of "Groundhog Day":

Exploring the concept of being allowed to (or rather forced to) live one day of your life over and over again until you get it right (or rather as reasonable a facsimile of "right" as you can get) is an enthralling notion for me. It was also extraordinarily different from anything else which was being done in romantic comedies at the time. Oh sure, you had the wacky weatherman story of Harris K. Telemacher two years earlier, however that film just didn't have the same warmth or the same staying power that "Groundhog Day" showcased to perfection. This is an incredible film that I have watched more times than I care to admit and will probably continue to watch more times than I am currently able to imagine.