Big Picture Big Sound

Groundhog Day on Blu-ray Disc Review

By Greg Robinson

The Film

"Well, it's Groundhog Day… again."

(Note: We thought about posting this review yesterday, but today somehow seemed more appropriate.)

Although Bill Murray is best known and most often quoted for his work in Caddyshack, Stripes and Ghostbusters, his performance as patronizing and sarcastic meteorologist Phil Connors is arguably his finest achievement to date. Unlike those other films, where Murray was but one of several main characters, he's on-screen for virtually every second of Groundhog Day's 101-minute run time. Consequently, the film's success is entirely dependent on his performance. Thankfully, this is Bill Murray we're talking about and Groundhog Day is absolutely hilarious.

groundhogBD_cover.jpg
Phil Connors isn't just a weather man. He's a star in the making, destined for greatness and he deserves a bigger share of the limelight – if you ask him, that is. Ask anyone else and they'll tell you Phil Connors is a smug, smarmy and sarcastic diva and his news van isn't big enough for both him and his ego. When Phil is sent yet again to cover the Groundhog Day festivities in folksy Punxsutawney, PA, it's a fate worse than hell and it'll take everything he's got if he hopes to survive the day. Unfortunately for Phil, it's going to be a very long day. After Phil gets snowed in and is forced to spend the night in Punxsutawney with his producer (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman (Chris Elliott), you can imagine his surprise when he wakes the next morning to discover that it's Groundhog Day. Again. And again. And again.

The Picture

As directed by Harold Ramis (Caddyshack), Groundhog Day has a simple and straightforward look with much of the film taking place outdoors in the quaint little town of Punxsutawney. (Or so they would have us believe – the bulk of the picture was actually filmed in Woodstock, IL. Go figure.) Sony presents the film on Blu-ray Disc using its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and it's a respectable treatment for this catalog classic. Although the image is a bit soft and lacks dimensionality, colors and skin tones are quite natural and picture detail is much improved compared to previous DVD incarnations. This isn't the disc to break out when showing off your new HDTV, but it's definitely the best the film has looked thus far.

The Sound

Like its video, Groundhog Day's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is perfectly respectable but it's also nothing to write home about. In the end, this front-heavy mix lives or dies by its ability to deliver Bill Murray's laugh-out-loud dialogue: "Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today!" Thankfully, the track gets full marks in this department. Dialogue is intelligible and well anchored in the front sound stage. Surround activity is minimal and bass is virtually non-existent, but that's hardly surprising with a film like this.

The Extras

Although 2009 marks sixteen years since the film's debut, Sony has re-purposed last year's "15th Anniversary Edition" DVD packaging for this Blu-ray release. Although that seems a bit lame and the cover art is downright hideous, this disc is not without its share of positives. For starters, the disc is BD LIVE-enabled, so you're all set if and when online content decides to present itself. You'll also find a new BonusView trivia track entitled "Needle Nose Ned's Picture-in-Picture Track." It's not great, but it's nice to see some effort was made to improve upon the DVD. The most enjoyable extra is a brief but recent sit-down with Ramis entitled "A Different Day: An Interview with Harold Ramis." Ramis is an extremely likeable guy and his interview does a wonderful job of hitting the salient points as he explains why Groundhog Day has withstood the test of time so well. And in a pleasant surprise, Sony presents this segment in high definition.

Final Thoughts

Part fable, part romantic comedy and part existential analysis of that which is truly important in life, Groundhog Day has and means something different for everyone. And the more you watch it, the funnier it gets. Arguably Bill Murray's finest hour (and change), Groundhog Day is a modern day classic if ever there was one. If you already own the DVD, it's hard to call this new Blu-ray edition a must-have upgrade. However, if you don't already own it, I can't recommend this one highly enough.

Where to Buy

 

Product Details

  • Actors: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Stephen Tobolowsky, Chris Elliott
  • Audio/Languages: English, French, Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1
  • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Korean, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Thai, Indonesian, Dutch, Arabic
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rating: PG
  • Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
  • Blu-ray Disc Release Date: January 27, 2009
  • Run Time: 101 minutes
  • List Price: $28.95
  • Extras:
    • Needle Nose Ned's Picture-in-Picture Track
    • Audio commentary with Director Harold Ramis
    • "A Different Day: An Interview with Harold Ramis"
    • Documentary: "The Weight of Time"
    • Featurette: "A Real-Life Look at Marmots"
    • Deleted Scenes

What did you think?

Overall
Video
Audio
Movie
Extras
View all articles by Greg Robinson
More in Blu-Ray and DVD
Big News
Newsletter Sign-up
 
Connect with Us