It’s Groundhog Day! So here are 10 facts about Groundhog Day the movie, released in 1993.
Groundhog Day is an American fantasy comedy film directed by Harold Ramis from a screenplay by him and Danny Rubin. It stars Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott. The plot concerns a cynical television weatherman covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He gets trapped in a time loop, forcing him to relive February 2 repeatedly.
The original idea for Groundhog Day came to writer Danny Rubin while he was reading Anne Rice's book The Vampire Lestat, and began musing about what a person might do with eternal life. Harold Ramis originally wanted Phil to live February 2nd for about ten thousand years, which came from Buddhist doctrine, which states that it takes approximately 10,000 years for a soul to evolve to the next level. However, he later said that in the film, Phil probably lived the same day for about ten years.
The holiday Groundhog Day was chosen because it was the next one shown on a calendar that Rubin opened, and although it was a recognised holiday, it wasn’t one that had got much attention up to that point.
Tom Hanks, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Michael Keaton and John Travolta were all considered for the role of Phil, but were all rejected on the grounds that they were “too nice”.
The film was not filmed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where the official groundhog ceremony takes place, but in Woodstock, Illinois.
Punxsutawney officials, upset that their town was not used for filming, refused to allow the real Punxsutawney Phil to appear in the film. So a local groundhog was trapped in the wild near Illinois a few weeks before filming, and nicknamed Scooter. Scooter, needless to say, was a somewhat reluctant star, and actually bit Bill Murray twice during shooting. Murray had to go to hospital for anti rabies injections.
The song Phil wakes up to every morning is I've Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher, which was a hit in 1965. The song is known for its seemingly endless repetitive chorus which mirrors Phil's predicament in the film.
Rubin originally wanted to explain the reason for the time loop and considered a number of supernatural reasons, including a curse put on Phil by an ex-girlfriend to teach him a lesson. In the end, he decided the cause didn’t actually matter, and the lack of explanation made Phil's situation more relatable, as "none of us knows exactly how we got stuck here either." There was also a twist at the end which didn’t make the cut – Phil breaks his loop and then confesses his love to Rita, but she she rejects him because she is not ready for love and gets trapped in a time loop of her own.
The German title of the movie is translated as "The Groundhog Greets Every Day," and the Swedish as "Monday the Entire Week." However, the movie doesn’t specify what day of the week it is, and Groundhog Day in 1993 was actually a Tuesday.
Bill Murray was going through a divorce when the movie was being filmed, which had an effect on his mood and behaviour which in turn led to tension between him and the director. Murray and Ramis didn’t speak for years afterwards. It was shortly before Ramis' death that they made peace with each other. That said, Murray did perform a nice gesture for people who gathered to watch the filming. He went into a nearby bakery and ordered Danish pastries all round.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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