Groundhog Day
Yeah perhaps it's a little predictable, but I had to kick off a look at some of my all-time favorite movies by watching Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day. It seems that as much as I like the movies I like, it's hard for me to be motivated to rewatch them when I have the ability to watch any number of new movies so often. Almost seems a waste. That said, I'm glad I got started. So, sometimes hokey motivation is the best kind of motivation. I mean, what would be better than watching Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day? (Well, surviving what could be some nasty icy roadways out there... hence this is a blog entry about Groundhog Day and not 127 Hours). But really, it was awesome to see this one again.
I think the reason I absolutely love Groundhog Day (besides how utterly ridiculous it is to build a movie with this plot around this day- awesome) is Bill Murray. This was the movie that catapulted Murray up to the top of my favorite actors list. I can't imagine anyone being able to come close to delivering the goods in this role. He taps his inner cantankerous dick and lets the good times roll from there. The humor is pitch perfect for the heady subject matter being dealt with. It's a mixture of dry and dark and ultimately subtle and underplayed. These, it would appear are Bill Murray specialties. So many awesome quotable lines...one liners. And the best of them are all delivered by Murray. I do wish I knew how often he ad-libbed. I can only imagine how many of the genius lines were coming from his mad sense of humor... but then, maybe it wasn't the lines but the delivery that made them great. I don't know, either way, this has got to be way up there in terms of Bill Murray's best performances. It was like Harold Ramis and company created a world where Murray could just go with it. Here's the set up, Bill, go nuts...
Within reason. I guess one of the other things that seems quaintly refreshing about the movie is that it's rated PG... not even PG-13. It doesn't devolve into raunch to get the laughs. (Don't get me wrong- one of my all-time favorite movies is Superbad... a movie built on a firm foundation of teenage raunch). Perhaps that's where the refreshing quality comes from; the movie relies on wit and nuance to make people laugh. And that's hard to do, but somehow this quirky flick gets it did.
Actually, if you start thinking about it... and they mention this on the DVD's making-of doc... it's kind of a miracle the movie ever was made. A darkish comedy built around an absurd situation like a constantly recurring Groundhog Day that tackles existential issues and questions of time and self? Sounds...interesting? Well yeah, actually it does. But let's not get too heady here. The fact that it's not a cookie-cutter movie is really gravy. This is Bill Murray's incredibly restrained yet incredibly fun party. I'm just happy to have stopped by.
Actually Murray isn't the only one who gives a perfect performance here either. Andie MacDowell is the perfect foil for Murray's Phil: sweet, but not dumb or overly naive. Rita's the right guy to make Phil want to be a better person...if he really does want to be a better person. Chris Elliott also gives what has to be his best performance as Phil and Rita's camera guy, Larry. Elliott is usually an actor you can never have too little of in a movie. Annoying, dumb, distracting. But somehow, perhaps taking a page from Murray's book, he manages an admirable restraint in his performance too, and the result is some pretty decent moments. Still, I'd say he's the weakest link here. Not so, however, with Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Rierson...Ryerson... Reierson...not sure how the last name is spelled. Tobolowsky is perfect for the part. He plays Ned as just the perfect mix of believably annoying and over-the-top irritating, and he come damn close to stealing several of his scenes.
Now, this isn't to say that Groundhog Day is perfect. I think the ending is a bit mushy for what had been- at times- an incredibly dark comedy (I mean, Phil offs himself in several different ways at several different times in the movie). It'a not that it didn't tie the movie together well...it did, but perhaps in just a little too sweet a way. A reflection of Harold Ramis's sunny, care-free persona (at least that's what is hinted at in the making-of)? I don't know. I also don't know how it would have been better...but that's not my job right? The music/score was also a bit tough at times...the "I'll Be Your Weatherman" song playing over the opening credits was waaaaay cheesy. Perhaps it was a reflection of the movie's time (1993)? And yet...that doesn't sound like I remember 1993 sounding... So let's just say that both some of the music and some of the clothes/hair styles just didn't hold up well over the years. The look and sound may not have been timeless but that's a tall order for a film to fill and perhaps unnecessary too. I don't know... I do wish that it would have held up a little better in those departments... it was just a little... I don't know...distracting.
What wasn't distracting and what did hold up extremely well were the absolutely perfect performances (again, especially Bill Murray) and the awesome story. Oh and one of my all-time favorite movie scenes. The one where Bill Murray's Phil coldcocks Ned after a few of the same run-ins. "Phil?" "Ned Ryerson.." Punch. Come on, we all wanted to do it at that point. And the look on Murray's face was priceless as he laid Ned out. I laughed out loud. By myself. In the dark. I never do that...except watching that scene. Nice. (well I guess there are probably other instances too... but still, it's rare).
I guess it'd be really hard to say where this movie falls for me. Top ten? No. Probably not. Probably not top 25 either, but beyond that it's in the discussion. Not that there is anything wrong with that. For me, the difference between a top 10 movie and top 100 aren't that great. I just love movies. Especially good ones...or rather ones that I think are good (what?). And to me, this is a hard one not to love.
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