"He's the fastest jack in Jefferson County..."

When thinking about Bill Murray's various works, what generally comes to mind is "Saturday Night Live", "Rushmore", "Ghostbusters", and "Charlie's Angels". Slightly less well-known is Murray's performance in "Groundhog Day" (1993). Murray plays the character of Phil Connors, a weatherman and all-around pompous jerk. He takes off for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania with his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliot) to cover Groundhog Day just like he does every other year. Except this time, when Phil wakes up the next morning, he finds he is reliving the same day. The day is relived countless times until Connors finally makes the changes necessary to get past February 2 and move on with the rest of his life.

Some may say that Bill Murray is an incredibly versatile actor. His roles range from Raleigh St. Clair in "The Royal Tenenbaums" to playing himself in "Space Jam." Even these two characters are miles apart. On the other hand, there is a definite argument that Murray has gotten a bit typecast through his time in movies. All of his roles tend to be a little bit "out there." He always seems to play a somewhat peculiar character. In "Groundhog Day," Murray's character Connors has no idea why he is stuck reliving one day over and over and he has no idea how to stop it. At one point, he ponders the fact that he might be a god. Not necessarily normal behavior. In "The Royal Tenenbaums," Raleigh St. Clair is once again not the most normal person ever encountered. Extremely eccentric, this is another almost typical role for Murray to have. Just becuase Murray seems to play similar roles does not mean he does them any less justice. For all of the characters he plays, Murray fully invests himself in their lives and mannerisms. During his time as Phil Connors, he is very convincing as a somewhat despicable character. This, however, does not totally sway the viewer from liking him. Especially as the film progresses, Murray turns into a good guy. In fact, he turns into the perfect guy. This is fairly reflective to the real life Bill Murray. For example, during shooting one of the scenes for "Groundhog Day," there were countless spectators and bystanders milling about and watching the production. Seeing as it was a very cold and gray day, Murray took it upon himself to get an obscene amount of donuts and provide one to each and every spectator. Not saintly behavior, per se, but definitely a kind gesture. Personally, Bill Murray was a great choice for this role. He comes off as a pompous jerk with impecable sneers and jeers, but as the film (and at the same time his character) deepens, he changes and matures in to the role. This film is more than just a romantic comedy. It is truly a story about the choices we make and how they can affect the rest of our lives. Connors was stuck in a day he hated until he finally did it right. And he had to make an effort. He relived the day countless times (enough times to learn French and the piano). Some days he really made an effort, some days he didn't. Some days, he tried to kill himself. Nothing would let him move forward in his life until he lived the day as best as he could. Murray's acting beautifully reflects his confusion, misery, depression, and final happiness.