Table of Contents Table of Contents Bill Murray gives a transformative performance Andie MacDowell earned her status as queen of the rom-coms The film has an underlying message of hope This years Groundhog Day has already come and gone, but the 1993 comedy Groundhog Day remains our pick for the one Amazon Prime Video movie that you need to watch in February. Its not like this is a Christmas movie that immediately goes out of season after December 25th. Groundhog Days namesake holiday is essentially irrelevant to the underlying story of the film. Who cares if there are six more weeks of winter when youre doomed to relive the same day over and over again?

Screenwriter Danny Rubin carried his concept for Groundhog Day for years, and it was originally a much darker story. Director Harold Ramis ultimately co-wrote and rewrote the final script with Rubin, resulting in a comedy with some fantasy elements that still manages to have moments of drama and pathos. It also had Bill Murray in one of his most memorable roles outside the Ghostbuster movies.

Recommended Videos Groundhog Day earned $105 million worldwide, which made it a modest hit. But its impact over the decades has gone far beyond the money it earned. This remains a fan-favorite film 32 years after its release, and thats why were sharing the reasons you should watch Groundhog Day this month.

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　　Bill Murray gives a transformative performance

Its not going to shock you to hear that Bill Murray was hilarious in Groundhog Day. Comedy has always been one of his strengths as a performer. For a good deal of the movie, Groundhog Day plays to Murrays comedic instincts as he steps into the role of Phil Connors, a cynical TV weatherman who found himself repeating February 2 over and over again while on assignment for the Groundhog Day event at Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Phils initial response to the time loop is disbelief, followed by acceptance, and then wild abandon as he lives a life free of consequences. Sometimes Phil even dies before waking up in his bed the next morning to start all over again. But eventually, Phil is overtaken by despair before he realizes that there is seemingly no way out of his endless day.

Murray and Ramis reportedly clashed over the deeper philosophical issues brought up by Groundhog Day, which strained their friendship for nearly two decades afterward. Regardless, the work they did together on this film was exceptional, and it helped transform perceptions about Murray that allowed him to take more dramatic roles.

　　Andie MacDowell earned her status as queen of the rom-coms

Groundhog Day was one of the first of many successful romantic comedies featuring Andie MacDowell during the 90s, and it helped establish her as one of the best actresses in the genre. In this film, she plays Phils producer, Rita Hanson, and shes not exactly charmed by Phils boorish behavior before the time loop. Thats why Phil has so much trouble winning Ritas heart because, from her perspective, Phil barely knows her at all. And from his perspective, Phil knows almost everything about Rita except how to make her love him.

On one loop in particular, Phil lets Rita in on the secret and convinces her that he really is living the same day over and over. That allows Rita to offer Phil some much-needed perspective, even though it may have taken countless lifetimes for him to reach that point.

　　The film has an underlying message of hope

There are plenty of takeaways from Groundhog Day, but the core idea is that people can change their ways. More importantly, they can choose to be better. It takes a long time for Phil to come around to that way of thinking, as kindness was never his first instinct. But the real indicator that Phil has found his heart isnt his romantic pursuit of Rita; its the way he treats the elderly homeless man (Les Podewell).

Earlier in the film, Phil has nothing but disdain for the homeless man, whose name is never mentioned. Hes simply an annoyance to Phil or someone to be avoided. Phils humanity doesnt come out easily, but when it does, he befriends the homeless man with each passing day in a vain attempt to change his fate. That illustrates the limits of Phils power while also making him a fully realized human being. For the first time in the film, viewers get to see that Phil truly cares about someone other than himself. Phil cant save everyone, but hes rediscovered his soul.

Were not going to spoil the ending of the film here, but its enough to say that Phils experience with the homeless man made him grow into someone who can be loved. The audience has witnessed Phils evolution, and its so emotionally moving that weve relived the days with him ever since.

Watch Groundhog Day on Prime Video.

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