Groundhog Day

On February 2nd, TV weatherman Phil Conners once again finds himself in the twee backwater of Punxsutawney covering the thrill of Groundhog Day. After his report is done and dusted, the crew around attractive producer Rita Hanson tries to leave town, but a blizzard strikes, trapping them in the town. The next morning, Phil realises he is trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again … The transformation of the misanthropic meteorologist into an altruistic beam of sunshine, who wins the support of the small-town population, not to mention Rita’s affections, provides a vehicle for droll one-liners and outrageously absurd moments of comedy. But the concept of a single day repeating over and over also provides for the depiction of a cynical utopia, where even repeated suicide attempts have no consequences. In this cinematic construct of “being and time”, Phil need have no fear of death, and the ageing process will never catch up with him. But he gradually begins to climb the learning curve, a forced coming of age that allows him to hone in on his true self – basically, an endearing guy.