Line #34 Trivia/GroundhogDay


1	!!The movie
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3	* ActorInspiredElement:
4	** The idea of Phil reading to Rita while she sleeps came from Creator/BillMurray. His wife drank too much champagne on their wedding night and fell asleep early, so Murray read aloud to her until he too fell asleep.
5	** Creator/AndieMacDowell asked Creator/HaroldRamis if she could use her natural UsefulNotes/SouthCarolina accent.
6	* AdoredByTheNetwork: Encore (and now AMC) have aired 24 hours of the film. This actually makes some sense, considering what the film's about!
7	** In the UK, [[Creator/{{Sky}} Sky Cinema Comedy]] does the same thing, [[RunningGag every year]]. Starting at 6am, naturally.
8	* CaliforniaDoubling: Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is represented by Woodstock, Illinois. The hotel across from the square [[spoiler:where Phil jumps to his death from the tower]]? That would be the Woodstock Opera House.
9	** And once you’ve figured that out, you’ll have no difficulty in guessing that the city road that gets closed off and forces the crew to turn around is actually in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} (Waukegan, to be exact), not UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}.
10	* CompletelyDifferentTitle: Since the concept of Groundhog Day isn’t well-known outside the U.S. and Canada, foreign versions of the film usually had to get creative with the title.
11	** The Swedish title translates as "Monday the entire week". The movie, however, does not specify what day of the week it is supposed to be, and Groundhog Day (February 2) in 1993 was a Tuesday.
12	** The German title of the movie is ''Und täglich grüßt das Murmeltier'', which can be translated as "The groundhog greets every day". The title has been adapted in Germany as a humorous proverb, which is often used when something is frequently repeated, especially annoying or awkward things.
13	** The movie is known as ''Un jour sans fin'' ("An endless day") in France. However, in French-speaking parts of Canada, where people do know what Groundhog Day is, the original title is directly translated as ''Le Jour de la marmotte''.
14	** The movie is titled ''Ricomincio Da Capo'' ("I Begin Again from the Top") in Italy.
15	** In Spain, it's called ''Atrapado en el tiempo'' ("Trapped in Time").
16	** In most of Latin America, the movie is called ''Hechizo del tiempo'' (roughly, "Time Curse"). However, similar to French Canadian example, the original title is directly translated as ''El día de la marmota'' for Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States.
17	** The Japanese title translates to “Love is Déjà Vu”.
18	** While the Mandarin Chinese version directly translates the original title, the Cantonese version carries the rather vague meaning of "Secret Love".
19	** The Korean version’s title means "The Black Hole of Love".
20	** In Hebrew, the movie is called "Get Up Yesterday Morning".
21	** The movie’s Czech title is ''Na Hromnice o den více'', meaning "One More Day on Candlemas", referring to the Christian holiday traditionally observed on February 2.
22	** In Turkey, the film is called ''Bugün Aslında Dündü'' ("Today is Actually Yesterday").
23	** The Hungarian title is ''Idétlen időkig'' ("From Time Immemorial").
24	** Macedonians call the movie ''И секој ден, мрмотот те поздравува'' ("And Today, I Congratulate You").
25	* CreatorBreakdown: Creator/BillMurray was going through a divorce during filming, which, coupled with arguments with Creator/HaroldRamis over what direction the movie should take, led to their friendship breaking down. They only reconciled when Ramis was on his deathbed.
26	* CreativeDifferences: Creator/BillMurray and Creator/HaroldRamis disagreed on the tone of the film. Murray felt it should be philosophical, while Ramis thought it should be comedic.
27	* DeletedScene: A scene was shot in which Phil destroys his room, slashing pillows, spray-painting the walls, et cetera. He also shaves his head, then the camera pulls back from his face to show that his hair and the room were back to normal the next morning. But Creator/HaroldRamis had trouble making the dissolving shot match, so the scene was changed to Phil breaking a pencil instead.
28	* DuelingMovies: ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106188/ 12:01]]'', though it's an AdaptationExpansion of the [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098962/?ref_=tt_trv_cnn 1990 short of the same name]], ''12:01 PM''.
29	* EnforcedMethodActing:
30	** See MistakenForGay on the main page, and then realize that that scene was ''improvised'' by Bill Murray; Ned's reaction was largely genuine. Creator/StephenTobolowsky (who plays Ned) is a great character actor, and did plenty of improvisation in the film, too.
31	** As is usual for Bill Murray, when Rita slaps him, she really does hit him hard. Not surprising, since all the abuse Murray suffered from Creator/CarolKane in ''Film/{{Scrooged}}'' was real as well.
32	** Reportedly, Creator/HaroldRamis deliberately shot the film's various scenes in reverse order, because he knew from experience that Murray tends to start projects with enthusiasm, then grow increasingly irritable and impatient as their production drags on. Shooting the upbeat ending first and the snarky opening last allowed Murray's building frustration to carry over into Phil's recovery from jerkass-ness.
33	* HarsherInHindsight: As beloved as this movie is, and rightfully so, it destroyed the friendship between Creator/BillMurray and Creator/HaroldRamis (former co-stars in ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}''). With Murray's divorce and the very different ideas about what the movie should be... they had a falling out that was only reconciled with Ramis on his deathbed.
34	* InspirationForTheWork: While waiting in a theater for a film to start, Danny Rubin was reading ''Literature/TheVampireLestat'' and began musing about vampiric immortality and what one would do with their time when it was limitless. He reasoned that vampires were like normal people without being forced to adhere to the same rules or moral boundaries. He questioned if and when it would become boring or pointless, and how a person would change over time, especially if that person was incapable of substantial change within their own limited mortal life. He singled out men he deemed to be in arrested development, who could not outlive their adolescence.
35	* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: Creator/BillMurray was bitten by the groundhog twice during shooting. Murray had to have anti-rabies injections because the bites were so severe.
36	* RealLifeRelative: The mayor is played by Creator/BillMurray's brother, Creator/BrianDoyleMurray.
37	* TheRedStapler: Since the film's release, the town of Punxsutawney has become a major tourist attraction. Before the film was released, Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration drew about 2,000 tourists. Within ten years, that figure multiplied to about 10,000, with high-turnout years getting up to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20200818113506/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/02/03/his-moment-in-the-sun/ba54b852-684f-475b-aa7e-91bba6dc1467/ 20,000]] or even [[https://web.archive.org/web/20090205210344/http://www.americandaily.org/document/070202%20Groundhog%20Day.htm 40,000]]. The 2004 ''Washington Post'' story (first link) quotes Bill Deeley, Punxsutawney Phil's official handler as of then, saying, "The movie blew it up."
38	** The Panasonic RC-6025 alarm clock seen in the movie is among the most coveted by collectors of flip clocks and clock-radios.
39	* ReferencedBy: [[ReferencedBy/GroundhogDay Has its own page]].
40	* RoleReprise: Around 2019, Bill Murray was asked to return to the role of Phil for a ''Groundhog Day'' Jeep ad to be filmed for the Super Bowl the following year, which also took place on Groundhog Day. Surprisingly, he said, "yes". The ad was once again filmed in Woodstock, and Stephen Tobolowsky and Brian Doyle-Murray also reprised their roles.
41	* ShrugOfGod: How long Phil spent in the loop. Creator/HaroldRamis said it was ''10,000'' years, while Creator/BillMurray mentioned they discussed it and decided on "about ten years" (widely thought to be the "correct" answer).
42	* ThrowItIn:
43	** In the DVDCommentary, Ramis claims that all he had planned for the scene in which Phil punches Ned Ryerson was just a simple faked punch. Toblowsky, who admits he can be a LargeHam sometimes, turned it into a full-on spin-and-stare-directly-into-the-camera-then-fall maneuver in reaction to the punch. And did so on every single take they tried. Eventually, Ramis just threw it in.
44	** After Phil spikes the radio, ''it keeps playing "I Got You, Babe"''. However, that wasn't ''supposed'' to happen. It was such a wonderful, dark moment that Ramis left it in.
45	** In the penultimate encounter between Connors and annoying insurance salesman Ned Ryerson, Murray was ad-libbing when he tells Ned, "I don't know where you're headed, but can you call in sick?" and causes Ned to run away.
46	** While filming the "Kidnapping Phil" scene, Murray spontaneously improvised the line "Don't drive angry, don't drive angry!" to cover the fact that the groundhog (which he was holding on his lap) was agitated and trying to escape by climbing over the steering wheel. A moment later the groundhog bit Murray's hand so badly he had to seek medical treatment.
47	* {{Typecasting}}: Mostly Creator/BillMurray, alternately played straight and inverted during the course of the movie, but a couple of the others could be described as such too.
48	-->'''Creator/RogerEbert''': The Murray persona has become familiar without becoming tiring: The world is too much with him, he is a little smarter than everyone else, he has a detached melancholy, he is deeply suspicious of joy, he sees sincerity as a weapon that can be used against him, and yet he conceals emotional needs.
49	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
50	** The original script featured the explanation for the unending loop and its escape clause,[[note]]It involved a curse by an ex reading a "how to do magic" book.[[/note]] but they found by [[DoingInTheWizard leaving it out]] made the film more magical.
51	** They flirted with the idea of a DarkerAndEdgier film, by taking full advantage of the no consequences mentality, (major cruelty, murder, etc.), but they decided not to, realizing a more light-hearted comedy would appeal more to the general audience.
52	** The original script had a HowWeGotHere structure, opening with showing Phil going through a day from beginning to end and leaving his knowledge of everything a mystery before flashing back to the start of the time loop.
53	** Apparently, one of the planned scripts showed that ''[[PlotTwist Rita]]'' was stuck in another time loop.
54	** Originally, when Phil snaps, he was supposed to murder the groundhog in its lair. This was changed to him kidnapping him, both because they feared the original plan was too close to ''Film/{{Caddyshack}}'', and because they feared it was too dark. Funnily enough, the musical's take on the scene is ''even darker'', with Phil breaking onto the stage just after the act and shooting the groundhog and himself in front of everyone.
55	** Characters dropped from the script included Rita's boyfriend Max and Phil's executive producer Gil Hawley.
56	** The original draft featured more scenes of debauchery focused on Phil's sexual conquests and removed some content deemed more mean-spirited, like Phil asking Rita to be his "love-slave". This is reversed in the final film to Rita buying Phil and claiming that she owns him. Phil's journeys outside of Punxsutawney were excised as Ramis did not want the audience becoming too focused on what the rules of the loop were, and felt that keeping the story within the town made it more claustrophobic. They also chose to remove expositional narration from Phil. Also excised were more scenes of Phil's later good deeds and the clever methods he used to prevent accidents while making the most efficient use of his time. For example, Phil puts a large rock in a road to prevent a truck delivering a fish that a restaurant patron would have later choked on.
57	** Phil was written as a younger man, but this was changed when it was determined that all the most appropriate comic actors were older.
58	** Creator/HaroldRamis originally wanted Creator/TomHanks for the lead role, but decided against it, saying that Hanks was "too nice" (this worked out quite well for Hanks, as he instead won an Oscar for ''Film/{{Philadelphia}}''). Rubin suggested Creator/KevinKline. Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/SteveMartin and Creator/JohnTravolta were also dismissed for this reason. Creator/MichaelKeaton was offered the role, but turned it down.
59	** Music/ToriAmos was considered for Rita.
60	** Rita was originally going to say that sweet vermouth always makes her think of Rome, the way the sun hits the buildings in the afternoon. It was featured in the trailer. However, it was cut, but Phil still says this without any explanation.
61	* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: The script continued to change during filming. When Creator/StephenTobolowsky arrived for his first scene, he was handed a new script. He estimated that about a third of the script was different than his original copy.
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63	!!The musical
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65	* AcclaimedFlop: The Broadway production received strong reactions from both audiences and critics, but that wasn't enough to help it business wise and it closed early.
66	* OnSetInjury: Andy Karl, the original Phil Connors, famously tore his ACL in Broadway previews while leapfrogging over another performer during "Philanthropy", finishing the performance on a walking stick. He missed several performances, but returned for opening night, performing with a knee brace. Some theorize that this, plus the production's technical difficulties, were what lead to the show's early closing, despite a successful West End run and great reviews.
67	* SelfAdaptation: Danny Rubin wrote both the movie and the stage musical.
68	* TroubledProduction: The musical went off fine during its run in London, but suffered several technical difficulties when it moved to Broadway, plus lead star Andy Karl injuring his knee and having to get his costume refitted for a leg brace. This may help explain its brief run despite fantastic reviews.
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Context Trivia / GroundhogDay