Free Movie Friday: “Groundhog Day”

Welcome back, truck drivers! Here’s another free movie to stream during your off hours. This week, it’s the 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray, Andie McDowell and the famous Punxsutawney Phil.

Bill Murray plays Phil, a TV weatherman working for a local station in Pennsylvania but convinced that national news stardom is in his grasp. Phil displays a charm and wit on camera that evaporates the moment the red light goes off; he is bitter, appallingly self-centered, and treats his co-workers with contempt.

No one is safe from his wrath, especially his producer Rita and cameraman Larry. On February 2, 1992, Phil, Rita, and Larry are sent on an assignment that Phil especially loathes: the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, PA. Once they finish covering the now-famous ritual, things begin to get strange.

After the crew is snowed in all night by a big storm, Phil then wakes the strangest sense of déjà vu: he seems to be living the same day over again. The next morning it happens again, and then again. Soon, no matter what he does, he’s stuck in February 2, 1992; not imprisonment nor attempted suicide nor kidnapping the groundhog gets him out of the loop.

But the more Phil relives the same day, the more he’s forced to look at other people’s lives, and something unusual happens: he begins to care about others. He starts to respect people, he tries to save the life of a homeless man, and he discovers that he’s falling in love with Rita and therefore wants to be someone that she could love in return. It’s just really hard (and funny) journey to get there.

Groundhog Day was released in 1993 and is rated PG-13 for some bawdy humor, adult situations and Murray’s traditional foul-mouthed humor. It’s a perfect balance between snarl and sweetness.

Click on the video below, or go to the movie page directly by following this link – then enjoy truck drivers!