...has the distinction of being one of the best things Bill Murray has ever starred in.
Indeed, what would you do if you could live your life over again? I mean, what would you do differently? Sometimes, it takes a rude awakening for one to realize one´s true potential. Need I tell you the film has a happy ending? Hey, I said it was a romantic comedy. And more.
Video:
The picture quality, presented in a regulation 1.74:1 anamorphic ratio, is brightly lit with color, much of it deep and rich. But the definition is very slightly blurred, and there are some slight evidences of grain in the darker areas. Flesh tones are not entirely natural, sometimes leaning toward a light pinkish orange. Minor concerns in an otherwise good transfer.
Audio:
The audio comes via Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, or Dolby Surround. As usual, Columbia fooled me by making the Dolby Surround the default, meaning I didn´t click into the DD 5.1 until some fifteen or twenty minutes had passed. Then the sound tightened up and became more distinct in the separate speakers, especially in the rear channels. Fact is, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track provides some of the best sonics I´ve come across in a non-spectacular film. Surround sounds like the clinking of dishes in a restaurant, street noises, and musical ambiance come across subtly but effectively, never overpowering, never too obvious. It´s the way sound is supposed to be, at least for me.
Extras:
For extras, there are a few of interest. I´d suggest as a start the audio commentary with director Harold Ramis. He´s none too talkative, but when he does speak it´s informative and sometimes witty. Next, there´s a twenty-five-minute documentary, "The Weight of Time," that begins by discussing the existential nature of the film and goes on with traditional behind-the-scenes stuff with the director, writer, and stars. Woodstock, IL, for instance, doubled for Punxsutawney because the real place didn´t have a town square in the middle of it. Then there are filmographies, a booklet insert of production notes, twenty-eight scene selections, and pan-and-scan theatrical trailers for this film, plus "It Could Happen To You" and "Peggy Sue Got Married." Spoken languages are available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese; subtitles in English French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Parting Thoughts:
By the way, did I mention groundhogs are really cute? The one that stars as Punxsutawney Phil, the town´s chief weather prognosticator, is certainly cute; almost as cute as the film. I liked "Groundhog Day" quite a bit, with its shades of old Scrooge and its eternal philosophical questions of why we´re here and what we´re up to. There aren´t a lot big laughs in it; it´s more sweet than hilarious. Heck, even the romance is sweet. It´s a good evening´s entertainment.
Video:
The picture quality, presented in a regulation 1.74:1 anamorphic ratio, is brightly lit with color, much of it deep and rich. But the definition is very slightly blurred, and there are some slight evidences of grain in the darker areas. Flesh tones are not entirely natural, sometimes leaning toward a light pinkish orange. Minor concerns in an otherwise good transfer.
Audio:
The audio comes via Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, or Dolby Surround. As usual, Columbia fooled me by making the Dolby Surround the default, meaning I didn´t click into the DD 5.1 until some fifteen or twenty minutes had passed. Then the sound tightened up and became more distinct in the separate speakers, especially in the rear channels. Fact is, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track provides some of the best sonics I´ve come across in a non-spectacular film. Surround sounds like the clinking of dishes in a restaurant, street noises, and musical ambiance come across subtly but effectively, never overpowering, never too obvious. It´s the way sound is supposed to be, at least for me.
Extras:
For extras, there are a few of interest. I´d suggest as a start the audio commentary with director Harold Ramis. He´s none too talkative, but when he does speak it´s informative and sometimes witty. Next, there´s a twenty-five-minute documentary, "The Weight of Time," that begins by discussing the existential nature of the film and goes on with traditional behind-the-scenes stuff with the director, writer, and stars. Woodstock, IL, for instance, doubled for Punxsutawney because the real place didn´t have a town square in the middle of it. Then there are filmographies, a booklet insert of production notes, twenty-eight scene selections, and pan-and-scan theatrical trailers for this film, plus "It Could Happen To You" and "Peggy Sue Got Married." Spoken languages are available in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese; subtitles in English French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Parting Thoughts:
By the way, did I mention groundhogs are really cute? The one that stars as Punxsutawney Phil, the town´s chief weather prognosticator, is certainly cute; almost as cute as the film. I liked "Groundhog Day" quite a bit, with its shades of old Scrooge and its eternal philosophical questions of why we´re here and what we´re up to. There aren´t a lot big laughs in it; it´s more sweet than hilarious. Heck, even the romance is sweet. It´s a good evening´s entertainment.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]532[/release]