{"id":70985,"date":"2023-06-18T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2023-06-17T20:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/?p=70985"},"modified":"2023-04-27T22:13:11","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T12:43:11","slug":"movie-review-groundhog-day-mini-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/2023\/06\/18\/movie-review-groundhog-day-mini-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review &#8211; Groundhog Day  (Mini Review)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-70988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Groundhog-Day-Review-Logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"984\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Groundhog-Day-Review-Logo.jpg 984w, https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Groundhog-Day-Review-Logo-768x230.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 984px) 100vw, 984px\" \/><\/h5>\n<h5><strong>Principal Cast : <\/strong>Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty, Angela Paton, Rick Ducommun, Rick Overton, Robin Duke, Ken Hudson Campbell, David Pasquesi, Richard Henzel, Rob Riley, Hynden Walch, Michael Shannon, Les Podewell, Rod Sell.<br \/>\n<strong>Synopsis:<\/strong> A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day, and the day keeps repeating until he gets it right.<\/h5>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">********<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the ultimate &#8220;time loop&#8221; story, Bill Murray&#8217;s 1993 comedy <em>Groundhog Day<\/em> has become a metonym for repetition of any kind, thanks to the wonderful plot conceit and extraordinary performance of the film&#8217;s star. Sarcastic Pittsburgh television weatherman Phil Connors (Murray) becomes trapped in a perpetual time loop when he visits a small Pennsylvanian town to report on the ubiquitous Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog who is thought to be able to tell the length of winter each year, alongside cameraman Larry (Chris Elliot) and beautiful producer Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell &#8211; <em>Four Weddings &amp; A Funeral<\/em>). Reliving &#8220;Groundhog Day&#8221; over and over again, Phil&#8217;s curmudgeonly and unlikeable attitudes to life and those around him starts to soften as he realises there is more to his existence than fame and glory &#8211; and his using of his near immortal gift allows him to woo, and eventually fall in love with, Rita, one of the film&#8217;s more preposterous ideas but one that has captivated audiences for decades now.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-70990\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/groundhog-day-bill-murray-andi-macdowell-936x527-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"789\" height=\"444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/groundhog-day-bill-murray-andi-macdowell-936x527-1.jpg 936w, https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/groundhog-day-bill-murray-andi-macdowell-936x527-1-500x280.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/groundhog-day-bill-murray-andi-macdowell-936x527-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Groundhog Day<\/em> is an instant classic of the comedy genre. Mixing cinema&#8217;s purest premise, Bill\u00a0 Murray&#8217;s easygoing charm and Harold Ramis&#8217; pitch-perfect direction of a wide, wonderful ensemble cast, <em>Groundhog Day<\/em> has birthed innumerable discussions both psychological (one calculation puts Phil&#8217;s repetition of the same day going on for nearly <em>34 years<\/em>!), metaphysical (there&#8217;s aspects of immortality within the framework) and philosophical (themes of predestination, fate and destiny have been espoused by fans throughout the years) but there&#8217;s one thing it isn&#8217;t: anything but wonderful. Bill Murray plays himself yet again on screen, a wry, somewhat garrulous and grumpy weatherman who has a general disdain for authority, his lot in life, and everyone around him, but he softens as he comes to love Rita&#8217;s softly-spoken loveliness. For her part, Andie MacDowell is typically straight as a bat in her performance as Rita, asked to do very little comedy alongside her far funnier co-star, while Chris Elliot&#8217;s wimpy cameraman Larry is the go-between for the pair, the third wheel in this duo of romantic entanglement. The terrific ensemble &#8211; including a hugely memorable performance by the hilarious Stephen Tobolowky as Ned Ryerson) all bounce off Murray&#8217;s incredulity at his predicament, never one shattering the illusion that the poor man is indeed doomed to repeat the same day over, over, and over again.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_70991\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-70991\" style=\"width: 698px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-70991\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Phil_20and_20Ned.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"698\" height=\"395\" data-wp-editing=\"1\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-70991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">?????????????<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An undeniable classic, <em>Groundhog Day<\/em> remains as fun, funny and charming as it ever has; it&#8217;s surprising how a film about time failing to pass seems to have avoided the passage of time with its warmth and charm. It&#8217;s as lovely now as it was back in the early 90&#8217;s, and Bill Murray has rarely been better. I would even argue that of all his early career output, this film is his best work. Easily fitting into the category of &#8220;essential viewing&#8221;,<em> Groundhog Day<\/em> is a touchstone film for many people and it&#8217;s easy to see why. The film really is just appealingly wonderful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Principal Cast : Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48482,"featured_media":70987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[201,288,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classic-film-review","category-mini-review","category-movie-review"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview.jpg",728,410,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-500x280.jpg",500,280,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-660x365.jpg",660,365,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview.jpg",640,360,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview.jpg",640,360,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview.jpg",728,410,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview.jpg",728,410,false],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview.jpg",728,410,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-24x24.jpg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-48x48.jpg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"sow-carousel-default":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/movie-groundhog-day-andie-macdowell-bill-murray-wallpaper-preview-272x182.jpg",272,182,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Rodney Twelftree","author_link":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/author\/rodney\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/category\/movie-review\/classic-film-review\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Film Classic<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/category\/movie-review\/mini-review\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Mini Review<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/category\/movie-review\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Movie Review<\/a>","tag_info":"Movie Review","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}