I felt great the first time I saw "Groundhog Day". It combined so many fine things that I was fit to burst. Bill Murray was the main star. The sub text was one of personal enlightenment. He achieved a kind of immortality. And it was a comedy romance. All of which went toward making it a hit with me before I walked into the cinema. Despite my natural bias, I feel sure that a majority of people would enjoy this movie thoroughly. As the film starts, we enter the life of Phil, a Pittsburgh weather man, just before he is due to leave for Punxsutawney, in order to cover groundhog day for his television station. This assignment is Phil's idea of hell. He is a selfish, cynical, chauvinistic, close minded man who is sick of his life and seems set on making every one else's life a nightmare too. Joining him on his trip are Larry, the camera man and Rita, the producer. Larry is an inadequate little man who's main purpose in life seems to be getting laid and being a smart ass. Rita is new at her job but makes up for it by being caring and beautiful. Phil is feeling particularly bad on the great groundhog day because having done it four times before, he feels that this annual festival is a symbol of a life that is heading nowhere. He manages to grin and bear his quaint accommodations at a local hostel and then grudgingly goes through the motions in front of the camera. After wrapping up, he is keen to get back to Pittsburgh where he can get on with his life but he is frustrated by a blizzard. One that, in a malicious twist of fate, he had earlier forecast would come nowhere near the town. After a freezing shower back in the room that he thought he would never see again, Phil is sure he has reached his lowest ebb. But he is wrong. On waking up the following morning Phil discovers that he has actually woken up in what, to him, seems like yesterday. What makes things worse is that no one else seems to notice that the world is repeating itself. After several attempts to pierce the charade Phil decides it must just be a major case of deja vu and stumbles through the day in an even more half hearted way than he had the day before. When the same thing happens again the next day and the day after that and so on ad infinitum, Phil tries several approaches to deal with his problem. He tries to ignore it, then he sees a doctor, then a psychiatrist, then he goes on a drinking binge, then he goes with the flow and into a hedonistic spiral that leads to a security cash van robbery. But none of this helps and Phil starts to despair. Eventually because of a simple affair with a local woman that he set up over a two day sting, Phil becomes aware that he may be able to use the repetition to get underneath Rita's guard and into her bed. We are treated to an almost unending parade of his amorous advances towards his producer but each ends in failure, usually signalled with a slap to his face. Finally Phil's depression turns to suicide. But he wakes up the next morning and it is still the morning before. Failure doesn't stop him from trying again and again but even this starts to wear thin and he gives it up. It is at this point that we see Phil start his climb back to sanity and to the humanity that he lost long before. I don't find it easy to write about his emotional trek from the abyss but I will say that you will find it very moving indeed. It is a great film to watch when you are a little down in the mouth. If Groundhog Day can't cheer you up then I recommend a warm bath and some of Mr Schick's fine products.

THE CAST OF GROUNDHOG DAY
PHIL CONNORS Bill Murray	RITA HANSON Andie MacDowell
LARRY Chris Elliott (I)	GROUNDHOG PHIL Scooter