Though this is the 30th Anniversary of GROUNDHOG DAY, it continues to feel timeless & evolve in meaning as it ages. This high concept film is triple threat — a holiday film, a fantasy comedy & an unassuming emotional touchstone for many audiences. As profoundly involved as this story may be, this Bill Murray vehicle has no shortage of complexities behind the scenes as well.
Origin & inspiration, transforming story structure, writing process, continuous script changes & on the fly decisions; tonal shift struggles, darker philosophical elements mixing with comedy, existential dread, death, immortality & spirituality; omitted scenes, storylines & deliberate absence of a key plot point; skirting around studio demands; importance of location & weather difficulties impacting production; conflicts between Ramis & Murray; cast chemistry & breakdown; release, reception & longevity of the film.
Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott & Stephen Tobolowsky star in GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) /// Directed by Harold Ramis.
//***Picks of the Week***\\
- Lindsay’s Pick: BIRD ON A WIRE (1990). Goldie Hawn, Mel Gibson, David Carradine, Bill Duke, Stephen Tobolowsky /// Directed by John Badham.
- Justin’s Pick: BEDAZZLED (2000). Brendan Fraser, Elizabeth Hurley, Frances O’Connor, Orlando Jones /// Directed by Harold Ramis.
//***MurrayMoment***\\
This section will return in Episode 103.
//***Final Thoughts on GROUNDHOG DAY***\\
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- Hosts: Justin Johnson & Lindsay Reber // Music: Matt Pace // Announcer: Mary Timmel // Logo: Beau Shoulders.
- Be Kind and Rewatch // January 31st, 2023.