76 - "Groundhog Day" (1993)

     As I started writing this review I began to wonder how many times Bill Murray was on my list. After giving it a glance it appears that 4 movies of his are on the list and another 3 were some of the last cuts that I made to the list. While not the most times an actor/actress will be represented, it's up there and is a testimony to the comedy of Bill Murray. He has already appeared once before on the list with Ghostbusters and there are 2 more yet to come, but I believe Murray gives his finest performance of the bunch in Groundhog Day. Murray plays Phil Connors, a cynical weatherman in Pennsylvania who dreads the trip every February 2nd to Punxsatawney, PA to cover the towns Groundhog Day celebration. Phil is an uppity city man who feels by going to Punxsatawney he is lowering himself to the level of the "hicks" that the town has. While there, he doesn't take the job seriously and spends most of his time insulting or making fun of everyone around him. But alas, it's just one day he has to spend there so he deals with it. Unfortunately, Phil's life is about to change as he is forced to live Groundhog Day over and over and over and over again until he gets it right. Groundhog Day with a lesser actor would have been a frustrating movie I believe. We see some of the same stuff over and over and over...you get the picture...and it requires an actor who brings a humor to the role that we can connect with and keep us invested in the story. Murray pulls that off with flying colors and the film never feels to repetitive as we see Murray learn something or try something different each time. The beautiful Andie MacDowell also stars as Rita, Phil's producer and ultimately the object of his affection. She does not get overwhelmed by Murray's acting and more than holds her own and provides great balance for the film. Groundhog Day is one of the funniest films made but it also has a heart to it and that's what sets it apart and makes it a great movie.