On this day in 1993, Bill Murray was at the height of his fame as he played the role of groundhog-predicting meteorologist Phil Connors in the film Groundhog Day, which takes its name from the holiday celebrated on February 2.
The journalist became stuck in an endless cycle while covering the annual Groundhog Day celebration and its mascot, Punxsutawney Phil. He was doomed to keep repeating the same day over and over again. Murray, who played a man who nearly went insane during filming, felt the same way about the experience.
Harold Ramis, the director, has since commented on Murray’s “irrational meanness” on set. According to Ramis, Murray wanted the film to be a “serious” and “philosophical” adventure that explored deeper themes like existential meaning.
Sadly, Murray’s wants and Ramis’ schemes were incompatible. The director’s original intention was to turn the picture into a comedy. Unfortunately for Murray, the groundhog he played in the film kept biting him.
Murray recounted being attacked by the animal “no less than three times” during the famous vehicle chase sequence. As a result, the actor had to obtain some quick shots to stave against rabies. During a snowball battle with Andie MacDowell, Murray’s on-screen girlfriend, shooting misery resumed.
Murray engaged a group of youngsters in a friendly snowball battle, but the kids were instructed by Ramis to throw “as hard as they could,” much to Murray’s amusement. The actor took a lot of punches like this during the film.
Later in an interview, MacDowell discussed the scene in which she repeatedly slaps him in the film, saying, “He asked me to really slap him. It’s difficult to repeatedly strike the same target. In addition to Murray’s distaste for the film’s direction, his co-star biting him, and snowballs pelting him, he was also dealing with issues at home.
Murray’s “marriage was apparently falling apart” during filming, as reported by JOE. After being married for three years, Murray and Margaret Kelly divorced in 1996. Murray’s extreme cruelty towards his director and friend Ramis can be explained by his ongoing anger at his situation.
Ramis told The New Yorker in 2004 that, “at times, Bill was just extremely crazily rude and unreachable.” Inconsistent arrival times on set were the norm for him.
If I could say anything to him, it would be the same thing I tell my own children: “You don’t have to throw tantrums to get what you want.” Let it all hang out and say anything you want.
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It’s been 25 years since the release of the timeless comedy.
One of the funniest movies ever was released in theatres on February 12, 1993. The story of Phil Connors, a self-centered weathercaster doomed to repeat the worst day of his life until he learns from his mistakes and grows up.
The $15 million production of Groundhog Day made over $70 million in the United States alone, making it the fifth and most successful collaboration between star Bill Murray and writer/director Harold Ramis, following such beloved comedies as Caddyshack, Stripes, and Ghostbusters.
It was the final straw that broke apart the ideal comedic ensemble. There are many possible explanations for the breakdown, including the fact that Murray was not Ramis’ first choice for the role of Connors because he thought Tom Hanks would be too nice. (Murray needn’t take it personally; his on-screen girlfriend Andie MacDowell was almost replaced with Tori Amos.)
During the filming of the car chase, Murray was bitten by the groundhog three times, necessitating anti-rabies shots. As the film progresses, Murray and MacDowell engage in a snowball battle with some local kids, but Ramis has instructed them to whip the snowballs as hard as they can at Murray, which he also probably didn’t appreciate.
The friendship and professional partnership between Murray and Ramis were not severed by any of these factors. Instead, the movie itself was the deciding factor. Murray preferred a serious, philosophical (Philosophical? “Get. Out.” – Ed.) view on the issue, whereas Ramis aimed for humor.
After seeing the finished product and realizing Ramis had had his way, Murray severed all relations for the next 21 years. It was reported that Murray became more difficult to deal with on set while his marriage was disintegrating (Murray would finally divorce his first wife Margaret Kelly in 1996).
Ramis said of Bill, “At times, Bill was just really irrationally mean and unavailable; he was constantly late on set.” You don’t have to throw tantrums to obtain what you want, is what I’d like to tell him, echoing what we teach our own children. Feel free to express yourself freely.
Even after the release and subsequent commercial and critical success of Groundhog Day, Murray remained steadfast on the idea of not working with or speaking to Ramis again, despite reports from friends and coworkers that he had grown to dislike the idea that Ramis was responsible for Murray’s career highlights.
After the incident, Murray never discussed it in interviews, but Ramis was very forthcoming about how much it had wounded him: “I’ve had numerous nightmares about him, that we’re friends again,” he told The A.V. Club. The dreams seemed like a wonderful reunion.
A strong man best described as Bill. He solidified our foundation. You’d do a film with Bill, a major comedy back in the day, confident that he’d save the day no matter how bad the script was and that you and he would figure out a way to make it work through improvisation.
That was the strength of our alliance, our common ground. It was then that I think he realized I could help him become the most hilarious version of Bill Murray he could be. I have no idea what happened to it, but it was captured on film. So, no matter what the future holds for us, at least we have those words.
The turning point came in 2011 when Ramis was diagnosed with autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis and was forced to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In 2009, Ramis’s final film, Year One, was released, and in the end, Brian Doyle Murray persuaded his brother to go see the dying filmmaker.
The late Harold Ramis and I did the National Lampoon Show off Broadway, Meatballs, Stripes, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and Groundhog Day together. Basically, he paid his own way to stay on Earth. I pray that God will bless him.
When presenting the award for Best Cinematographer that year, Bill Murray gave an unexpected, brief, and a too emotional tribute to his late friend Harold Ramis. But arguably this largest indicator that Murray finally put the dispute behind him.
It was stated in the New York Times that Murray attended the 2017 Broadway premiere of the Groundhog Day musical and was so impressed by the performance that he was reduced to tears: “The concept that.
(Mr. Murray trailed off, trying to collect his thoughts)… The belief that we should keep making attempts. Let’s give it another shot. It’s a very elegant and potent concept. That message holds true now, 25 years later, and so does Groundhog Day’s hilariousness.
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