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The Movie:
One of the more entertaining comedies of the past 10 years, Harold Ramis' "Groundhog Day" contains one of the more original concepts in movies in a while paired with an excellent performance (one of his most memorable) from Bill Murray. Murray stars as Phil, an arrogant, mean-spirited weatherman who believes that it's only moments before he jumps to a major network. Along with cameraman Larry(Chris Elliot) and producer Rita(Andie McDowell), Phil heads off to Punxsutawney, Pa to cover "Groundhog Day" once again to see if the little creature will see its shadow.
Many irritated comments later, the day ends with Phil stuck in Punxsutawney. Where he's literally stuck that day, stranger things happen. He wakes up the next day to hear the same song playing on the radio. As he walks out the door, he finds that he's in the same day as the previous day. And the next day, it happens once more. And again, and again and again - Groundhog Day plays in a continual loop.
Murray's performance is nothing short of brilliant, offering fantastic comedic timing and an undercurrent of insanity to some of the scenes after he's found out his situation. McDowell and Elliot do decent supporting work, but it's Murray's show all the way as he gets some of the best lines of the movie ("don't drive angry" he tells a groundhog driving the car in one classic scene). There's hardly anything that isn't too enjoyable in the film, with the exception of George Fenton's slightly goofy score.
Even the repeating day's events remain funny as little variables get thrown into the mix. There's a bit of sweetness and a bit of sappiness, but the film never gets too corny. Strong editing keeps things moving and the 100 minute running time stays nicely paced. All-in-all, "Groundhog Day" remains a great effort from all involved - a great original concept brought to the screen wonderfully.
The DVD
VIDEO: This is an early effort from Columbia/Tristar, and although not up to their usual standards, the anamorphic transfer they've given "Groundhog Day" is still certainly watchable. Sharpness and detail are usually good - most scenes appear sharp and fairly well defined, although rather "flat" looking. Some scenes have a bit of a "soft" look to them, but not soft enough to be annoying.
A few problems pop up here and there, but aren't something that viewers have to consistently deal with. A few little print flaws appear towards the begining of the picture, but the majority of the film is free and clear of such problems. Some shimmering and a couple of traces of pixelation are visible, but I didn't find their presence too distracting. Flesh tones occasionally looked slightly pale, but this was a rare occurence.
Colors seemed natural - no more, no less. The outdoor scenes are mainly snowy and don't have a wide variety of colors of display. Some of the interiors are warmer and have some richer colors, but nothing that stands out terribly. A nice early effort from the studio. A full-frame version is included on the other side.
SOUND: "Groundhog Day" is given a Dolby surround presentation. Although the majority of the film is, as expected, a dialogue-driven affair, the light score is given a pleasant amount of presence throughout the movie. Dialogue remained clear and easily understood and of course, in a movie like this, that's the focus.
MENUS:: Menus are non-animated, with very basic images serving as backgrounds. For example, the main menu simply re-uses the front cover.
EXTRAS: The trailer. That's it, that's all.
Final Thoughts: "Groundhog Day" is a superb, often hilarious comedy. Tristar's DVD is one of their early releases, so there's not much to it. The film would be a good choice for an upcoming special edition re-release, as the studio has done for many of their early titles, but nothing has been announced yet. If you can't wait, this edition has been repriced and can be found at most stores for around $15.
Film Grade
The Film *** 1/2
DVD Grades
Video 87/B = (348/400 possible points)
Audio: 82/B = (328/400 possible points)
Extras: 69/D+ = (207/300 possible points)
Menus: 70/C- = (140/200 possible points)
Value: 81/B = (243/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1266/1600
DVD GRADE:C+/79%
FILM GRADE: *** 1/2
DVD GRADE: C+
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