Groundhog Day (1993)

It’s Groundhog Day!  Ready to relive this magical day over and over again?!

Well, Phil Conners (Bill Murray) might not be ready to do it, but you certainly will.  Revisiting the highlights of director Harold RamisGroundhog Day include watching Murray assault the many characters in the town of Punxsutawney, a borough in southern Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, where thousands descend every February 2nd to watch as a damn rodent predicts the annual weather for millions of people.  Like Conners, a weatherman who really, really doesn’t want to be trapped in the town for any more time than he has to be, the event doesn’t really sound like a fun trip to Pennsylvania, yet it happens.

"one of those movies which never gets old . . . so watch it again and again … and again"


And people attend.  In droves.  Thankfully, this weird American event gets turned on its head thanks to the comic hijinks that Murray gets into while he tries to figure out why he keeps reliving the same day, watching as Punxsutawney Phil “predicts” more and more of the snow which has him permanently trapped in this small town.  Things don’t change until he realizes that there are no consequences for any of his actions.  What a trip!

Written by Danny Rubin and Ramis, Groundhog Day is what happens - thanks to the chorus of “I Got You, Babe” by Sonny and Cher and the same radio banter - when Phil wakes up, repeating the same day over and over again.  The faces and the conversations are the same and, as the days continue to repeat, he finally breaks and starts doing things he’s never done before.  He tries to kill himself, sleep with as many women as he can, and do risky things.  Nothing breaks him out of repeating this cursed Groundhog Day over and over and over and over again. Groundhog Day (1993)

Until he finds himself falling for Andie MacDowell as Rita Hanson and making nice with Chris Elliott as Larry the cameraman.  You see, Phil has a lot to learn about being a decent human being and Groundhog Day is the story of how he winds up finding out more about himself and the world around him than he ever thought he could by covering this bizarre event, which hails from Dutch origins. 

While Ramis and Murray clashed over the tone of the movie, Ramis’ vision for the comedy won out in the end.  Murray would have to wait to wade into the philosophical waters until a bit later in his career and, honestly, I don’t think anyone can argue with the results here and in Murray’s career.  Groundhog Day, now revered as a comedy classic from the 90s, is not a perfect film, but it certainly manages to hit those comedic highs right outta the proverbial ballpark as Murray takes his frustrations out in some unsuspecting ways for the townspeople of Punxsutawney.

The beloved Bill Murray romantic comedy favorite celebrates its 30th anniversary, just in time for the actual Groundhog Day with a SteelBook 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release.  It is one of those movies which never gets old . . . so watch it again and again … and again.

4/5 stars

 

Groundhog Day (1993)

4k details divider

SteelBook / 30th Anniversary Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD

Home Video Distributor: Sony Pictures
Available on Blu-ray
- January 10, 2023
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Slovenian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Audio:
English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1; Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 2.0; Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

Bill Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best in this riotous romantic comedy about a weatherman caught in a personal time warp on the worst day of his life. Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) and a smart-aleck cameraman (Chris Elliott), TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. After a surprise blizzard traps him in small-town hell, things get even worse; Phil wakes the next morning to find it’s GROUNDHOG DAY all over again… and again… and again.

VIDEO

The 4K 2160p 1.85:1 image transfer is very pleasing.  Details are sharp.  Flesh tones are more natural and the locations are gloriously layered with crackling features.  Black levels are solid and the colors are bold - even the winter weather produces a freezing effect for the audience.  No complaints about what the transfer looks like.

AUDIO

The Dolby Atmos mix is to be praised here.  Totally immersive and worth the sonic upgrade over prior releases of this film.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Remember the 15th Anniversary release?  There’s nothing new here.

  • Audio Commentary featuring Harold Ramis

Special Features:

Like I said, nothing new.

4K UHD Disc

  • Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Disc

  • Audio Commentary featuring Harold Ramis
  • The Weight of Time
  • Study of Groundhogs: A Real-Life Look at Marmots
  • Needle Nose Ned’s Picture-in-Picture Track
  • Deleted Scenes/Alternate Ending

4k rating divider

  Movie 4/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 4/5 stars
  Extras 3/5 stars

Composite Blu-ray Grade

4/5 stars


Film Details

Groundhog Day (1993)

MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime:
101 mins
Director
: Harold Ramis
Writer:
Harold Ramis
Cast:
Bill Murray; Andie MacDowell; Chris Elliott
Genre
: Comedy | Romance
Tagline:
This Christmas there will be... Misery.
Memorable Movie Quote: "What would you do if you were stuck in the same day... over and over? Anything you want and everything your heart desires."
Theatrical Distributor:
Columbia Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
February 12, 1993
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
January 10, 2023.
Synopsis: Bill Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best in this riotous romantic comedy about a weatherman caught in a personal time warp on the worst day of his life. Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) and a smart-aleck cameraman (Chris Elliott), TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. After a surprise blizzard traps him in small-town hell, things get even worse; Phil wakes the next morning to find it's GROUNDHOG DAY all over again… and again… and again.

Art

Groundhog Day (1993)