Rating: 
Summary: "Special Edition" high and low points:
Review: I'm going to forego a review of the movie. Let others do that. Here's my input on the bonus stuff:What's good:
"The weight of time" documentary - What makes this documentary somewhat unique, is that it allows the screenwriter some screen time to convey what his vision of the movie would have been. It's a gutsy move that Ramis allowed this on his film, since the original concept of Groundhog Day was far darker than the final product. It's an interesting watch, although it would have been nicer if Bill Murray made an appearance in the documentary.
Director's commentary: Ramis' approach is to tell small anecdotes about minor characters, how people were cast, how the scenes were filmed, etc. It's interesting and entertaining in its own right. He doesn't just drone on and on like many directors do. I think his acting and comedy background helps make him be more interesting, personable, and accessable for viewers to listen to. What's lousy:
I'm probably alone on this, but the animated menus are annoying, silly, and slow. You have to wait for the animation to get going before you're allowed to make your choice. It'd be forgivable if there were any easter eggs hidden, but I know of none. So, it's just annoying.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the funniest movies EVER MADE!
Review: I'm a die-hard movie junkie and can say without reservation that this movie is among the most hilarious ever made. The very simple story is one where Bill Murray plays a self-consumed, hyper-cynical, and arrogant weatherman with a mean streak who finds himself paying out some sort of karmic debt by having to live through the same day (Groundhog Day) again, and again, and again, and.... The phenomenon strikes him with terror (few play "overwhelmed" better than Murray) at first, which is very funny material, but it's when he becomes accustomed to his seeming immortality and liberty from consequence that things really get unbearably funny. This movie is fantastic in that it can be watched casually, as it's chock full of slapstick style entertainment (no offense to Bill Murray, but just looking at his face makes me laugh, great expressions...); but what really endeared this movie to me was the lesson I think is wrapped up in all the humor. I think the movie is about "appreciation". Appreciation for the value of every days potential (I know that sounds cheesy), appreciation for those around you that so easily fall into the background from all the noise of our environment, but most of all, appreciation for the difference between doing the right thing and the wrong thing. This movie smartly creates a "clean A/B lab". In the first lab, you have a bunch of failed attempts to create the perfect day. And finally, all those attempts are contrasted against the control group...a perfectly lived day, one where all the latent opportunities we don't even see are exploited... And what a difference a day can make. I hope you enjoy as much as I did...
Rating: 
Summary: It's OK, but could have been so much better.
Review: This is a universally loved movie which for some reason I've never really wanted to see, but decided that, as a fan of great movies, I had to give it a chance. The film has a great premise and it is executed much better than I had anticipated. All in all I found it to be a likeable movie but certainly not the comedic masterpiece that the vast majority of people and reviewers describe this to me. I know that most who read this will probably think that I must be nuts for just liking this movie, but I just can't see it in the same hemisphere as "Tootsie" (as some have suggested) or even other great low-brown comedies starring Bill Murray. I for one found "Caddyshack", "Stripes" and even "Meatballs" to be hilarious, whereas GD to me seems to be trying to be all things to all people. It's not anywhere as funny, warm, thought provoking or outrageous as it should have been. Since I hate it when reviewers tell to much about a movie, I won't reveal much, but anyone with a heartbeat probably knows that the premise centers around Bill Murray's weatherman character, who finds himself waking up to the very same day over and over again, turning around the general perception that the most horrible thing about life is not knowing what's going to happen next. Here the character knows all too well what will happen and he has the opportunity to see how his actions may or may not have a material impact on said day. Director Harold Ramis has a very difficult task in trying to not repeat himself too often or the movie would be very tedious. He mostly succeeds by not going back to the well too often and finds the right balance of choosing which moments warrant re-executing and moving the story along by giving us a window to the character's full day. The movie manages to generate a few laughs (mostly via its supporting characters whom would be right at home in an episode of "Newhart") and avoids getting too syrupy while making its point. My lack of enthusiasm for the movie comes almost exclusively from Bill Murray's performance as only in the latter part of the film does he come across in a credible way. I found his early acerbic scenes to be almost phoned in as he has done this much better before. Although we are not supposed to like him, I simply found him annoying until much later in the movie. Andie MacDowell does a very good job as his potentially romantic sidekick and brings a sweetness to a role that is not much on paper. I was actually shocked as to how unfunny Chris Elliott was. Elliott is generally one to make something out of nothing, but here he is so reigned in that he leaves no impression. Notwithstanding its limitations, this is a movie that you will probably enjoy if you don't go into it with any expectations. It's multilayered, not pretentious, and basically does a good job of executing what it set out to do. Good, yes... Masterpiece....No. I can't see the "Not Helpful" tabulations coming, but I really like this forum and the reviews of others have exposed me to so many different movies/music that I would have never found on my own, but also has helped me stay away from things that reviewers found not so good. In this case, I just want to offer a different perspective on a movie that is so loved by many but just did not do it for me as I would have liked it to be much darker or sunnier, but as it stands it's just cute and passable, which is fine.
Rating:
Summary: it's going to last you the rest of your life!
Review: Groundhog Day is the funniest movie of the 90's. Brilliant performance by Bill Murray who plays a cocky weatherman Phil Connors who covers Groundhog day every year in the small town of Punxatawnee that he hates. The day end with him being stuck there because of a blizzard that he didn't predict...and what more, he relives groundhog day over and over again...taking advantage of it, taking his own life, making a move on his producer Andie Macdowell which turns out to be his first lesson in reviewing his inner cruelty and becoming a better person, and a local hero! This movie is straight out funny...it will make you crack up with every viewing. Watch out for Stephen Tobolowski in his bizarre role as Ned Ryerson, and a cameo appearance by the film's director (and Murray's costar in Ghostbusters) Harold Ramis. The features are well worth the money too.
Rating:
Summary: Bill Murray's best and one of my fav comedies!
Review: Phil Connors (Murray) is an obnoxious weatherman with an ego the size of the Grand Canyon. Every (you guessed it) Groundhog Day he must cover the groundhog's shadow in Punxatawney, PA, accompanied by kind, sensitive producer Rita (whom is the girl of the movie) and their hopeless womanizer cameraman Larry (who only has few scenes). But after their first day, Phil wakes up to it...again. Everyone is wearing the same clothes, saying the same things, doing everything they did yesterday...er...today...er.... The real laughs begin when Phil begins taking advantage of his newfound situation by doing whatever he wants, such as stealing money from a truck, learning stuff about girls and then meeting them the next day acting as if they were his long-lost friend, or simply avoiding the bad stuff that happened to him. But Phil's situation soon turns into a predicament, for soon he grows tired of his plight, even more so when he learns he cannot die, after several (hundred) attempts to commit suicide. Phil begins waking up to hell, as new events begin to happen, like him finding a homeless man on the streets and dying every single day. Eventually Phil begins to woo Rita, going through horrible dates just to learn everything about her, and when tat doesn't work, he works on the good aspects of life, learning piano, etc. I won't reveal the ending (I've already revealed too much) but I promise you that you will laugh out loud, and maybe shed a tear, for this wonderful movie.
Rating:
Summary: The longest days of Phil Connors' life
Review: And they are transformational ones too. Phil Connors is an egotistic, sarcastic prima donna weatherman for Pittsburgh station WPBH who's sent with producer Rita and cameraman Larry to cover the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney. There's no love lost between the trio, as Rita and Chris don't care too much for their conceited colleague. And yep, it's six more weeks of winter according to Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog. Unfortunately, a blizzard that he did not foretell in his own forecast makes chances for departure back to Pittsburgh 0%. The next day, at 6:00 AM, it's no... not 3 February, but Groundhog Day once again! Connors becomes stuck in a weird timewarp where everyday is Groundhog Day. Nothing can happen to him, and every day starts anew for the folksy people of Punxsutawney, but he remembers everything else that happened the day before. The rest of the movie is variations on a theme--how Phil spends the day trying to figure out his predicament and how he interracts with certain people on different Groundhog Days. There's Ned Ryerson, a nerdy former classmate who tries to sell Phil life insurance, a hefty fellow lodger Connors encounters as he leaves his room, and an elderly bum on a street corner, which later turns out to be one of the most poignant scenes. Surprisingly, repeated segments don't detract from the movie. The main point of this comedy is that the attitude we emanate is what makes one attractive or endearing to people. It also states that the choices we make affects everyone else for better or worse, and how to be the best we can be so others respond in a positive way or how simple kind words can make a person's day. Connors exudes nothing but a bad attitude from the beginning. He makes chauvinistic remarks to Rita, and in one of his broadcasts, refers to his namesake as an overgrown squirrel. Rita is the catalyst here. Phil's attracted to her and tries whatever he can to score with her, by finding out her favourite drink, what she studied before her journalistic career, but it's when he actually comes to her for help after she's touched by his truly beautiful weather report that he realizes how nice a person that he turns over a new leaf. He learns detachment and emanating a positive aura that makes others attracted to him instead of trying to focus on a single person. This is one of Bill Murray's best movies, as his character goes from obnoxious jerk to someone who emanates so much positive energy that he's the most popular guy around. Andie McDowell shines as Rita, with those crinkly eyes and sweet smile making her even more endearing than in Four Weddings And A Funeral. And director Harold Ramis, Murray's costar in Stripes and the two Ghostbusters movies, has a brief scene as the local neurologist. Chris Elliott (Larry) has the funniest word in the movie when MacDowell asks him why Murray would kidnap a groundhog. He says he can think of a few reasons, and then says, "pervert!" To be sure, this will be the movie that did to Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" what mad cow disease did for cows. And hey, at least it gave Bill Murray a chance to work with a real rodent as opposed to a bogus puppet in Caddyshack. But it's a delightful comedy that stresses that if we emanate positive energy by becoming the best person that we can to others, others will return the energy.
Rating:
Summary: "Special Edition" high and low points:
Review: I'm going to forego a review of the movie. Let others do that. Here's my input on the bonus stuff: What's good:
"The weight of time" documentary - What makes this documentary somewhat unique, is that it allows the screenwriter some screen time to convey what his vision of the movie would have been. It's a gutsy move that Ramis allowed this on his film, since the original concept of Groundhog Day was far darker than the final product. It's an interesting watch, although it would have been nicer if Bill Murray made an appearance in the documentary.
Director's commentary: Ramis' approach is to tell small anecdotes about minor characters, how people were cast, how the scenes were filmed, etc. It's interesting and entertaining in its own right. He doesn't just drone on and on like many directors do. I think his acting and comedy background helps make him be more interesting, personable, and accessable for viewers to listen to. What's lousy:
I'm probably alone on this, but the animated menus are annoying, silly, and slow. You have to wait for the animation to get going before you're allowed to make your choice. It'd be forgivable if there were any easter eggs hidden, but I know of none. So, it's just annoying.
Rating:
Summary: GroundHog Day the Classic comedy film by Harold Ramis
Review: In 1993 , director Harold Ramis genius of dark comedies like ''Analyze This'' casted Bill Murray as Phil Connors in this dark but mostly enjoyable movie named GroundHog Day. Bill Murray plays Phil Connors a weatherman, who covers everything from weather to Ground Day. Phil isn't happy with his life, in fact he realizes that he is repeating the same routine over and over again. From work in the morning,to
talking to the annoying Ned Ryanser( Stephen Tobolowsky), while listening to Sonny and Cher in the morning to covering the stupid GroundHog Day, Phil is repeating the same day over and over again. Of course the irony here as done by the plot, is that he is the only that knows it. It's like an episode the ''Twilight Zone'' (which I reviewed too on other sites). Eventually Phil has a mental breakdown in which he plans to do whatever he wants. He comes completely unglued when realizing how wasted his life had become, and thus wants to change it. I use the term breakdown because well Phil isn't exactly a nice guy, he's arrogant and obnoxious. We hardly sympathize with this guy, much less that he is miserable. However, the point the movie makes is the guy realizes he has been wasting his life
away and wants to change it, although Phil's change doesn't go ahead smoothly. He drives reckless around the train tracks, gets arrested, steals a bagfull of money from a couple of dumb cops, charms his way into sleeping with a beautiful young girl and yet finds out that he still isn't happy. Until he puts the moves on Rita (Andy McDowell), his producer. McDowell is the few actresses that I know that has limited acting potential but her beautiful presence can convey some emotions making her sympathetic. However, in order to get close to Rita, Phil has to get info on her likes and dislikes from her friends. This angle in the movie, really made me a little sick, because even we are suppose to sympathize with Phil, he hasn't really changed all that much. Rita, eventually finds out Phil's motives and slaps him in the face, and telling him to get lost. Phil though in order to impress her and to change himself, starts doing bizarre, yet unreal things that get him attention and he does start to become nicer. This is where the movie gets ridiculous, because even though this is a comedy, I found the rest of the movie to be predictable, superficial, yet enjoyable Phil becomes a gifted ice sculpter (who knows where he learned this) as one scene, where his cutting a sculpture of an ice angel is shown. Then Phil saves a guy from choking to death, a kid from a falling tree and a host of other surprises. LOL Yes Harold Ramis does go a bit over the top with this Phil guy, obviously a lot of the stuff he pulls of is almost impossible giving Phil's background, but Ramis is again trying to show the point (although laughingly bad) that Phil is changing. He now has a heart and will do anything to be with this nice woman and of course by Phil doing this he has filled that empty void that he had when he was repeating the same unfulling routine of covering that stupid Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania. Still though Ramis does do a good job of making us think about the movie and Phil itself and gives us that scary thought that we perhaps might end up like Phil, a shriveled, ugly man who has been repeating the same stupid routine yet doesn't have the capacity to see that this misery is at his own doing.
Rating:
Summary: GOOD BUT NOT GREAT
Review: Yes, this is an entertaining movie, very well made, and has a lot of funny variables on the recurring events of GROUNDHOG DAY. Murray is good in his role; Andie McDowell even better. But I can't call it a "classic" because there are times when enough is enough. With no explanation for the time warp or its resolution, it's hard to understand just why Bill is reliving each day. Even as the story progresses and Bill finally becomes a decent, caring man, we've had to wade through a lot of redundancy that the screenplay didn't necessitate. But I'd be a Scrooge to say it isn't a happy entertainment. Some of the supporting characters in Puxta..whatever? are fun, and it's unique the way director Harold Ramis alters some of the recurring scenes, especially obnoxious Stephen Tobolowsky's, Hi I'm (I've forgotten his name already).
Admittedly enjoyable, but not the "best comedy ever!"
Rating:
Summary: In a class by itself
Review: I think one reviewer said it best: this is one of those rare films that has many levels --it's clever, it's comical, it's a love story. It also challenges morality and delves into how we define human existence. It makes you think AND feel. Most of all, all these combinations work to create a unique and thoroughly enjoyable movie. I wish these came along more often!
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