Plot: What’s it about?
Phil Conners (Bill Murray) is a big time weatherman on a small time channel, just waiting for his chance at network fame. One of the things he hates about his nickel and dime job is his yearly trip to Gobbler’s Knob to see the legendary groundhog predict the weather. While in the small town, he runs into an old high school acquaintance he hates, and has problems with his producer (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman (Chris Elliot). After a huge blizzard, which he told his viewers was not coming, the town is buried, and Phil is stranded there. When he wakes up however, he realizes he is reliving the last day, and relives it over and over again. He tries to kill himself, seduces a woman, but finally sees that he should use it for good, and tries to get to know his producer better.
This movie is very cool, as directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray, who make an incredible comedy team once again. Groundhog Day is extremely funny, but has a few darker stretches as well. Phil gets desperate at times, and will do anything to end his constant reliving of Groundhog Day. He drives off a cliff, drops a toaster into the bath with him, even takes advantage of a woman. It makes Phil seem human however, not too goody-goody, but flawed and believable. This makes the film seem more likable, because Phil is just a regular guy who does many of the things we would do ourselves. We’ve all thought about what we’d do if our actions had no consequences and rest assured, selfish and perhaps underhanded actions are toward the top of most lists. The scenes where he gets to know his producer better are very humorous, with many takes and retakes of the exact same scene over and over, with hilarious outcomes.
Of course the story is ridiculous, but the movie does not worry about being serious very much. It’s billed as a romantic comedy, but I don’t buy that at all. Yes, it has elements of romance and toward the end it steers more in that direction, but it is not your usual romantic comedy, I don’t think. It’s more of a traditional comedy with some darker elements mixed in for laughs. Bill Murray’s performance is worthy of the purchase, let alone the other supporting actors. While you may not cry, sob or weep, you will giggle, chuckle, and guffaw, because this disc is fantastic. If you need to sit back and enjoy an hour and a half of relaxing fun, pop this one in, you’ll wish every day was Groundhog Day. As if the movie itself wasn’t reason enough to snag this disc, Columbia has dipped into their backlot and issued this brand new special edition and of course, this loaded version is the one fans will want to own, no doubt about it.
Video: How does it look?
Groundhog Day is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I am unsure what I was on when I reviewed the prior disc of this movie, but I graded the transfer rather low, which was not the case. Now however, my mind is clear and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, this is one terrific looking visual effort. The print is clean and shows minimal grain, while wear signs are also infrequent and minor. The colors come off as bright and natural in scope, while flesh tones seem normal and consistent also. No issues with the contrast either, as black levels are spot on and never falter in the least. I may have judged this one unfairly the first time around, but I’ve gotten it right this time and fans should be more than pleased here.
Audio: How does it sound?
In an unexpected move, Columbia chose to include a 5.1 track in Dolby Digital on this release. I think fans will welcome the new 5.1 mix in addition here and while it makes minimal impact, it is cool to have this option on this new edition. But this is a dialogue driven comedy and at the end of the flick, I was hard pressed to find much difference between the two audio tracks. The elements are well presented in both cases, with rich music, adequate surround use, and crisp, clean dialogue, but this kind of material simply doesn’t push the speakers much. This disc also includes language tracks in French, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc also sports a number of added bonus materials, hence the new special edition label. I chose to start with an audio commentary from Harold Ramis, who is talkative and candid, but there is still a bit of silence here. Perhaps another participant would have helped round this one out, although Ramis’ comments are well worth a listen, as he does have a lot of information to hand out. You’ll also find The Weight of Time, a new behind the scenes piece on Groundhog Day and of course, fans shouldn’t miss this one. This featurette runs about twenty-five minutes and blends new interviews with footage from the film, which makes for a decent, if a little too promotional look behind the scenes. This disc also contains some talent files, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
