Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Photo: Prospect composite

Groundhog Day happens once a year—every 2nd February in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, great fuss is made as a groundhog emerges to predict the end of winter. The hope is that we’ll get an early spring, but most years the groundhog sees its shadow and we get six more weeks of winter.

For such a short month, February drags on for very a long time, occupying that in-between space after the holidays where nothing really happens.

For Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day, the classic 1993 comedy that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, February could certainly have gone on forever. For him, the 2nd of February reset every morning at 6am, forcing him to live the day over and over.

Groundhog Day is perhaps an odd film to take on the cult status it has. Bill Murray’s character is a grumpy middle-aged weatherman who’s mean to everyone around him. He spends the first half of the film trying to hook up with Andie MacDowell’s character Rita Hanson—despite the fact that she’s a wet blanket who says things like “I always drink to world peace.”

YOU'VE HIT THE LIMIT

You have now reached your limit of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
But don't worry! You can get another 7 articles absolutely free, simply by entering your email address in the box below.

When you register we'll also send you a free e-book—Writing with punch—which includes some of the finest writing from our archive of 22 years. And we'll also send you a weekly newsletter with the best new ideas in politics and philosophy of culture, which you can of course unsubscribe from at any time

Email

Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.