History YMMV / GroundhogDay

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Phil wearing a cowboy costume and taking an unnamed woman dressed as a French maid (who he insists refer to him as "Film/BroncoBilly") to see the [fictional] movie ''Heidi II''. It's very random, is never properly set up (we never see this woman in ''any'' other scenes), nor is it ever brought up again.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Phil wearing a cowboy costume taking an unnamed woman dressed as a French maid to see ''Film/HeidiII''. It's very random and not talked about again.

* HilariousInHindsight: Gamers familiar with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', its similar emphasis on the GroundhogDayLoop, coupled with altruistic side-quests will get ''a massive grin'' as Phil starts actively helping the townsfolk, and often checking his watch, panicking if he thinks he's too late to help someone who needs him on the loop.

* ValuesDissonance: As a part of his [[FlawlessVictory perfect run]] towards the end of the film, Phil walks into a restaurant, performs the Heimlich Maneuver on the mayor, saving his life, then turns around and ''lights a woman's cigarette for her''. Public opinion of smoking has come a long way in 20 years.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Phil taking an unnamed woman to see ''Film/HeidiII'' in costume. It's very random and not talked about again.

* VindicatedByHistory: It did okay at the box office and the critics of the time liked it well enough. Within 10 years it would come to be widely regarded as a classic film comedy. ''Washington Post'''s Hal Hinson deemed it a good movie but opined that it would "[[ItWillNeverCatchOn never be designated a national treasure by the Library of Congress]]." [[HilariousInHindsight Guess what title was added to the LoC's National Film Registry in 2006?]] (That's not to say he didn't like it -- he said it was the funniest American comedy since ''Film/{{Tootsie}}'', which Murray also appeared in. In a later review, he chuckled at his ItllNeverCatchOn gaffe.)

* VindicatedByHistory: It did okay at the box office and the critics of the time liked it well enough. Within 10 years it would come to be widely regarded as a classic film comedy. One ''Washington Post'' critic deemed it a good movie but opined that it would "[[ItWillNeverCatchOn never be designated a national treasure by the Library of Congress]]." [[HilariousInHindsight Guess what title was added to the LoC's National Film Registry in 2006?]]

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: [[TheDulcineaEffect Getting the girl will solve your problems]]. Or "[[EntitledToHaveYou solving your problems will get you the girl]]." Neither one's all that family-friendly, but the core concept -- that you ''can't'' move forward without solving your problems -- is quite sound. Both assume Phil's problems were solved by getting the girl, which is disproved by the second-to-last loop, when he ''does'' get Rita, but the loop continues. In fact, when Phil ''gives up'' trying to seduce Rita, and becomes a whole person, he does get her.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: [[TheDulcineaEffect Getting the girl will solve your problems]]. Or "[[EntitledToHaveYou solving your problems will get you the girl]]." Neither one's all that family-friendly, but the core concept -- that you ''can't'' move forward without solving your problems -- is quite sound.

* EarWorm: ''Then put your little hand in mine...'' (Even if you don't find the song catchy to begin with, it will get you through sheer repetition.)
** ''Strike up the music, the band has begun / The Pennsylvania Polka!''

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: [[TheDulcineaEffect Getting the girl will solve your problems]]. Or "[[EntitledToHaveYou solving your problems will get you the girl]]." Neither one's all that family-friendly, but the core concept - that you ''can't'' move forward without solving your problems - is quite sound.

* ValuesDissonance:
** As a part of his [[FlawlessVictory perfect run]] towards the end of the film, Phil walks into a restaurant, performs the Heimlich Maneuver on the mayor, saving his life, then turns around and ''lights a woman's cigarette for her''. Public opinion of smoking has come a long way in 20 years.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: In his 1993 review of the film, ''UsefulNotes/{{Washington|DC}} Post'' film critic Desson Howe recommended it but tempered his praise by stating that it would “never be designated a national film treasure by the Library of Congress”; in 2006 the movie ''was'' designated a national film treasure by the Library of Congress.

** Rita really does believe everybody wants kids.

* NightmareFuel: Just the concept of being stuck doing the same day for weeks, months or even '''years''' is absolutely ''horrifying''.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: At one point, Phil goes up at a late showing of ''Heidi II'' dressed as the titular character from ''Film/BroncoBilly'' along with a woman dressed as Ms. Lily. Who she is, how she knows Phil, and why they're showing up for a movie wearing costumes from a different movie are never explained, but it fits within the mood of just trying whatever in the face of eternal boredom.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The song "Hope" in the musical, which covers Phil's period of repeatedly killing himself. It uses various techniques and a generous helping of visual misdirection to switch Phil's actor out with another so he can keep leaving the stage, and then pop out of his bed a second later.

* ActorAllusion: [=Andie MacDowell=]'s character mentions "12 years of Catholic school here." This may be an allusion to her Catholic nun character in HudsonHawk two years earlier.
** BillMurray's line "I am a god" is possibly a reference to his line in {{Film/Ghostbusters}}:
--> When someone asks you if you are a god, you say 'YES!'
* AlternativeJokeInterpretationYMMV: After Phil catches a boy falling from a tree, the boy doesn't thank him. Phil responds, "See you tomorrow...maybe." Some took it as meaning that Phil might not be there to save the ungrateful kid in the next time loop, while others thought he was referring to the fact that the time loop could break the next day.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Ned Ryerson, chiefly because Creator/StephenTobolowsky nails the right amount of NiceGuy {{Pollyanna}} charm that would annoy Phil and amuse the viewer.
* EpilepticTrees: One of the more outlandish theories is that Phil was trapped in Groundhog Day for ''several thousand years''. (Although in an earlier, discarded draft of the script, he ''was''.) Creator/HaroldRamis estimates that it was closer to about 30-40 years.
** It's mentioned someplace (perhaps in the older draft of the script?) that he read the entire Punxsutawney library, ''every'' book in it, by reading them one page a day. Each book would take months, if not years, to read; and there would be thousands of them in the library.
** As a point of fact, WordOfGod has it that [[http://www.dannyrubin.com/blogusgroundhogus/2008/01/29/the-magic-of-friendship/ the timeframe is intentionally ambiguous, but likely on the order of 10 years]]. (It also confirms that the original plan was for thousands - although they only used a bookshelf at the bed & breakfast, not a library - and [[ExecutiveMeddling the studio wanted two weeks]].)
** This isn't that far out, actually - considering that he learns, from scratch, how to make ice sculptures with a [[ChainsawGood chainsaw]], speak ''fluent'' French (if not [[{{Omniglot}} more tongues]]) and play the piano.
** WhatCulture made a reasonable calculation [[http://whatculture.com/film/just-how-many-days-does-bill-murray-really-spend-stuck-reliving-groundhog-day of about 34 years.]]
* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: Creator/HaroldRamis has pointed out that people tell him this film is an obvious allegory for (insert religion of choice here) where Phil breaks the loop after following said religion's key principles.
** Though the nature of the reincarnation loop itself and the fact that his goal is to escape it fits UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} better than any other religion.
** Numerous professional works have also analyzed from a perspective of nihilism and/or existentialism.

* ValuesDissonance: As a part of his [[FlawlessVictory perfect run]] towards the end of the film, Phil walks into a restaurant, performs the Heimlich Maneuver on the mayor, saving his life, then turns around and ''lights a woman's cigarette for her''. Public opinion of smoking has come a long way in 20 years.
** Also, Rita really does believe everybody wants kids....
%%** Also, wearing down a woman until she can't say no to you? It's a concept of male entitlement that's used in far too many movies and shows (''Film/FiftyFirstDates'', ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'', ''Series/{{Friends}}'', ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'') and is insulting to women's intelligence. [[https://soonestmended.com/2014/02/02/re-visiting-groundhog-day-lobotomizing-women-in-the-name-of-love/ This article elaborates it further]].
* VindicatedByHistory: It did okay at the box office and the critics of the time liked it well enough. Within 10 years it would come to be widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
** One ''Washington Post'' critic deemed it a good movie but opined that it would "[[ItWillNeverCatchOn never be designated a national treasure by the Library of Congress]]". [[HilariousInHindsight Guess what title was added to the LoC's National Film Registry in 2006?]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: After the film's debut, the director was called several times by various religious groups, all claiming he was secretly one of them.[[note]]In reality, Harold Ramis was raised Jewish, but did not adhere to any organized faith.[[/note]]

** The mayor is [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants The Flying Dutchman]]/[[WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack Captain K'nuckles]].

* AlternativeJokeInterpretationYMMV

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: getting the girl will solve your problems.