Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Movie Moments: #46




Groundhog Day (1993)

What movie has given its name to an unpleasant situation that keeps repeating?  And is a favourite of Buddhists in that they see in its story of kindness and rebirth a message of spiritual transcendence?  And is a very funny film that is well worth watching?  Those who said “Groundhog Day may transcend to a higher level.  Those who did not know will have to reread this paragraph until they get it right.

Synopsis:
Phil Connors, a self centred TC weatherman finds himself repeating the same day over and over when covering the annual Groundhog Day festival in Punxsutawney.  Eventually hedonism and despair give way to a re-examination of his life and priorities.

Quote:
Phil: When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter.

Trivia:
On the DVD, Harold Ramis states that the original idea was for him to live February 2nd for about 10,000 years. Later he says that Phil probably lived the same day for about 10 years.  Early drafts of the script explained the cause of Phil Connors' weird experience: a disaffected ex-lover called Stephanie cast a spell on him to teach him a lesson.


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