One of my favorite obscure holidays, if only for the sheer absurdity of it. Check out some history. With the Stillers in the Big Game (starts with “S”, ends with “uper Bowl”, can’t say specifically for licensing reasons), Punxy, PA must be one hell of a place to be this morning. (Not that it wasn’t already.) Imagine if the Iggles didn’t self destruct and got there too!
I was also thinking about what a great but underappreciated movie Groundhog Day is. It really is one of the finest comedies of our generation… containing a nice balance of optimism and cynicism. It ends in a happy, romantic comedy way, but without being overly sentimental. Throughout the movie, however, Phil reaches depths of despair rarely seen in a Meg Ryan – Tom Hanks flick. I also like the way it leaves so much to the imagination — why did Phil end up in this situation? How? How long was he there? Most Hollywood movies must explain all this, but Ramis’ genius left it all ambiguous. Lastly, its one of few movies that gets better the more you watch it. Each viewing adds another layer to the puzzle. I’ll be screening it tonight!