Sunday 7 December 2014

Review: Groundhog Day (1993)

I had an awesome opportunity to go to Portugal for a couple of days with work, and so I leapt at the chance! I love visiting new places, but I was also looking forward to being able to catch up on a few films while I was gone too. Isn't it just typical that when you think you have a load of time, you just don't? I managed to watch Groundhog Day though, a film I've been meaning to watch for months.


Now I feel like I should go back to our Zombieland review and delete the part about not seeing a Bill Murray film before...

Phil (Bill Murray) is a weatherman and a bit of a douchebag if you don't mind me saying. He gets sent to cover a story for Groundhog Day which he does reluctantly, only to find that when he wakes up the next day, it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again.

I really struggled through the first half of this film. It's partly down to Bill Murray's style of comedy I think, but I just didn't like his character at all and so I couldn't feel sorry for him. There were still some laughs but Phil just irritated me more than anything. I guess I can't help but compare this to Liar Liar which I absolutely love, and so I set my bar high.

However after his breaking point, I warmed to him and just allowed myself to enjoy the film rather than trying to over analyse everything. I don't want to into too much detail but I really loved the romance tale within Groundhog Day. It reminded me a little of 50 First Dates in a way, although it's been years since I've seen it.

This film has ruined the song 'I've Got You Babe' for me though; I get a little freaked out whenever I hear it! Maybe I should set it as my other half's alarm song as a prank...


I'd like to watch this film again sometime when I think I'll appreciate it more. I need to watch another Bill Murray film too as I haven't warmed to him yet as much as I probably should have.

10 comments:

  1. Part of the charm of this movie is that Bill Murray's character is extremely unlikeable, which is why he gets stuck in this time loop. I urge you to do this one many more times. It rewards repeat viewings as it is impossible to grasp a true sequence of events and how much time has actually passed. This is one of my all-time favorite movies (probably Top 15). And watch Wes Anderson's movies for Bill Murray at his best, especially Rushmore and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, if you haven't already.

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    1. That's a really insightful comment and I'll absolutely take it on board and watch Groundhog Day again soon. After writing this post I started talking to a lot of friends and family about it, and I actually found that the more I spoke about it, the more I appreciated it!
      - Allie

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  2. This is the one I recall when watching Edge of Tomorrow! This is one of the best of 90s!
    Cheers!

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  3. I really like Groundhog's Day. Like it was said above, part of what makes it a good film is that Murray's character is so unlikeable.

    Yes, Murray has been excellent in a number of Wes Anderson films, though I'm not a fan of Life Aquatic. Id recommend going back a bit further before watching any of those and checking out Ghostbusters.

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    1. You know, this has come at a great time as I'm thinking of taking part in the Blindspot Series, and Ghostbusters should definitely be on that list! So many classics that I've never actually seen...
      - Allie

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    2. After I typed my initial comment, I totally wished I had mentioned Ghostbusters. That is the quintessential Bill Murray. And What About Bob as well. Great early 90s comedy!

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    3. Ooh What About Bob is a new one to me, that's going on my 'to watch' list too now!
      - Allie

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  4. Bill Murray seems to play unlikable, curmudgeon characters so well that it's part of the charm :) I enjoyed this one when I saw it ages ago, might be time for a rewatch!

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    1. I wish I'd known this before actually watching Groundhog Day, it might have skewed my opinion slightly. Still, it definitely deserves a re-watch now!
      - Allie

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