Groundhog Day Films, United States Folklore Celebrated Every February 2

Bill Murray (Columbia Pictures)

JAKARTA - Every February 2, the people of the United States celebrate Groundhog Day, also known as Groundhog Day. This story is summarized in a film titled the same direction as director Harold Ramis, which was released in 1993.

Groundhog Day is a festival from Germany where a folklore says if a ground guinea pig emerges from a hole when it is cloudy then spring will arrive.

If the weather is clear and the marmot sees a shadow and then re-enters the pit, winter will continue for six weeks. People say it's like the second winter.

German immigrants took the tradition to the United States, to a small town called Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania. There, the people will wait for the ground guinea pig to emerge from the hole. A regular event is also held. On the occasion only the Pennsylvania German dialect was spoken.

Through his film, Ramis takes the point of view of the journey of a journalist named Phil (Bill Murray) who feels bored because he always gets the task of covering Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. Once upon a time, Phil served with Phil's cameraman and manager named Rita (Andie MacDowell). The atmosphere looks normal, they stay in the city and start activities.

When he finished reporting, Phil wanted to return to Pittsburgh when the rest of the crew wanted to film the activities in the city. They travel home and get caught in a blizzard that forces them to stay at a hotel.

Instead, Phil awakens to find him at an inn in the town of Punxsutawney. Phil tries to repeat the day and he remains in the same situation.

Groundhog Day film shows folk traditions combined with back and forth storylines. It can be said that this film is one of the pioneers of the time loop film in Hollywood. Bill Murray's hilarious action against Groundhog Day is very impressive.

Pop Culture

The film Groundhog Day was released in 1993, an era in which family films were at their peak. With a budget of 14 million US dollars, Columbia Pictures managed to make a profit of 70.9 million dollars in North America.

Groundhog Day is called a sleeper hit because despite the huge profits, the audience's interest is not much to talk about this film. In the same year, films like Star Wars or Home Alone were discussed more.

The film also received Best Script nominations at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the BAFTA Awards. As a result, Groundhog Day has become an aspect of pop culture that is still remembered today.

Thanks to this film, the Woodstock area hosts a Groundhog Day Festival which features tours of the shooting locations. Various plaques and honors were placed at Woodstock to celebrate this film.

In 2000, the American Film Institute named Groundhog Day at number 34 as the best comedy film of all time. Starting from the script, Bill Murray's acting to the film's story is the main point of attraction. The word 'Groundhog Day' begins to have a shift in meaning into a repetitive and unpleasant situation.

Being a pioneer, the film Groundhog Day inspired several Hollywood films to use the time loop concept, namely Source Code, Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day, and Palm Springs which were released last year.

Apart from the main focus of the film which tells of Phil's love, Groundhog Day brings a term and introduces tradition to the community.

In 2006, the United States Library Congress selected Groundhog Day to be listed on the National Film Registry. The reason is, this film has significant history, culture and aesthetics. Because of its title, the public is looking for the meaning and origin of Groundhog Day.

Feb 2nd - Phil Connors experiences the same day over and over again #GroundhogDay pic.twitter.com/gKHiB3MDJs

- Dates in Movies (@DatesInMovies) February 2, 2021

Groundhod Day celebrations to the present

Groundhog Day is one of the important films that must be broadcast every February 2. In 2016, fans in Liverpool gathered to watch the film over and over for 24 hours.

The Sky Cinema television channel has also shown this film for 24 hours since 2017. This year, they did not show Groundhog Day once but 13 times. Due to its timeless popularity, the production team came up with the idea of adapting the film in the format of a television series. This was mentioned by one of the players, Stephen Tobolowsky in 2020.

Regardless of the plot, the film Groundhog Day has become a cultural element that is remembered by the people of the United States and is the success of cinema in having a big influence in life.