oh, no! not again. he jumps up and exits the office with hawley right behind him.
forget it! i'm not going.
get away from me. i'm working.
no way. all that moisture coming up from the gulf is going to miss us completely and take a dump on harrisburg.
jesus, gil, give me a break, will you! i covered the goddamn groundhog last year and the year before that.
you should've killed the guy who made you do that.
then you should've killed yourself. i don't want to get stuck with the groundhog for the rest of my life.
many people are morons.
what'11 you give me? hawley looks across the studio and sees rita hanson enter, a very attractive segment producer in her late twenties.
oh, it's an enchanted place. a magical world. it's the constantinople of the whole western appalachian-susquehanna drainage system.
about 70 to 80% of the time. inside i'm actually a very shy and sensitive person.
tell me the names of these people.
i think i'll take my own car. i ' m not that fond of my fellow man.
nice face. why don't you ride up with me?
they don't really think of me as a weatherman around here. more of a "personality," but with the credibility of a first-class broadcast journalist. once you look at my tape i think you'll see what they mean. stephanie enters and stands in the doorway looking at phil for a long moment. there is something vaguely off-center about this woman, not quite fatal attraction but still a little scary.
dan, can i call you back? i've just been handed something and i better get on it.  . okay, thanks.
(gently pushing her
our relationship? we went out a total of four times! and only twice did anything happen. it was fun but i don't see that as a big commitment.
see? so we've already done this. let's move on. next case.
that's what i ' m trying to tell you. you don't want to be with me. you can do better. look, stephanie, if i ever said or did anything to mislead you i'm sorry for that, but right now i have to do this groundhog thing and i don't have a handle on it yet. he throws some papers and his datebook into a briefcase and puts on his jacket.
i'll tell you what. i ' m going to do some serious thinking while i ' m in punxsutawney, okay? he pats her on the shoulder and brushes past her, leaving her standing there with a malevolent look on her face.
i'm on my way to punxsutawney.  punx^su-taw-ney. work or fun? i think that all depends on you.
 . . . i thought maybe you could meet me up there tonight and let me vulgarize you for about seven hours. so i ' m supposed to spend the night in punxsutawney all alo ne? thanks.
rita! i can't stay here. rita is already helping larry unload equipment from the van.
i hate this place. i stayed here two years ago and i was miserable. it's like a minimum security prison. i'm not staying here.
really? will you be my love slave?
no thanks, i've seen larry eat. why don't you ditch larry and let me take you someplace nice?
yeah.
okay. i get it. you're a little intimidated by me, you're all excited about the shoot tomorrow, you want everything to go just perfect. i understand. you just get some sleep. tomorrow will be great.
never again.
morning .
i ' m predicting march 21st.
like a roumanian orphan, mrs. lancaster.
i don't suppose it1 d be possible to get an espresso or a capuccino around here.
forget it. this '11 be fine.
my guess is it'11 be cold and overcast, high today in the low 30's, dropping to the low 20's tonight, but i'm predicting that all that moisture coming up from the gulf is going to miss us and dump some locally heavy snow, possibly blizzard conditions with travel advisories in the harrisburg area and maybe as far east as .philadelphia. (off her surprised
unfortunately yes. phil exits.
i 'm sorry. have we-- uh--
ned?
so what're you doing with yourself, ned?
no kidding.
you know, ned, i ' d love to talk to you but i really have to-- phil starts to walk away,,but ned won't take the hint.
dinner? umm, i don't think that's going to work for me. as they continue walking, phil steps into what looks like a shallow puddle and ends up ankle deep in wet slush. ned laughs like a donkey.
i got hung up with some jerk i went to high school with. so, did you sleep okay without me? you tossed and turned, didn't you? rita holds up a slate for larry to id the tape.
who told you?
once a year, the eyes of the nation turn here, to this tiny hamlet in pennsylvania, to watch a master at work. the master? punxsutawney phil, the world's most famous weatherman, the groundhog, who, as legend has it, can predict the coming of an early spring. rita turns to larry. this is impressive-- so far, so good. a groundhog club official kneels at the burrow and ceremoniously knocks on the small wooden door, then opens it and retreats.
and here's the big moment we've all been waiting for. let's just see what mr. groundhog has to say. the groundhog sticks his head out, looks around, steps out of the hole, and runs over to the other side of the mound, about as far away from the cameras as he can get.
hey! over here, you little weasel! larry zooms in as far as he can but the best he can manage is a close-up of the groundhog's back. the groundhog stands there a moment, his body casting a long shadow, then he lets out a squeak and runs back into the hole.
great shot, huh, folks? well, that was certainly worth the trip. now we'll be hearing from mr. buster greene, president of the punxsutawney groundhog club, the so-called seer of seers who will interpret for us. buster greene, dressed up in his top hat and cutaway coat, walks onto the mound and hushes the crowd.
well, that's it. sorry you couldn't be here in person to share the electric moment. this is one event where televison really fails to capture the excitement of thousands of people gathered to watch a large squirrel predict the weather, and i for one am deeply grateful to have been a part of it. reporting for channel 9, this is phil connors. larry cuts the camera.
that's as sweet as i get. i'm outa here. as he exits, phil tosses the mike to larry, who isn't expecting the throw and bobbles it, dropping the mike on the ground.
is it my fault the little rat went south on us?
god, you really take this stuff seriously, don't you.
you really don't know me very well, do you. 'cause if you did you could never say something like that about me. i care! call me a cockeyed optimist but i happen to think there's more to this job than just getting my ugly mug on the boob tube every night.
yes, that is so. rita is so irritated by him she can't even respond. phil looks at her evenly for a long moment.
so as far as us getting together, would you say the glass is half empty or half full? larry pokes his head in the doorway, looks around, spots rita and makes his way over to their table.
you don't have to rush off, you know. that storm is 'going to miss us completely.
i'll call you after i see the network guy. i should be back there in a couple of hours. what?. 1 can't hear you-- you're breaking up. hello? sabrina?
sabrina ? can you hear me? shit! he slams the phone back into it's cradle, then looks up and notices slow traffic up ahead. he honks his horn as the traffic comes to a complete stop. he keeps honking but nothing moves. he rolls down the window and looks up ahead. the highway is a parking lot.
no. no!
what's going on, officer?
what blizzard? a couple of flakes! an isolated phenomenon of nature.
no, no. all that moisture is going to miss us and hit harrisburg.
but i have to get to pittsburgh today!
so all the long distance lines a re down? what about the sa tellite? is it snowing in space?. but i have to call pittsburgh. isn't there some special line you keep open for emergencies or for celebrities?. well, i'm both really. i'm a celebrity in an emergency. can you patch me through on that line?
you never saw me on tv-- on the news?
i ' m the white house correspondent for nbc news.
ask me anything?
three bedrooms, two and a half baths. looks much bigger than it , is. nancy just stares at him, clearly not into his sense of humor. suddenly, a bride in full white wedding gown and veil rushes into the bar, crying and shouting. a gaggle of bridesmaids flutters around her trying to coax her back to her own wedding but she won't budge. then the groom, wearing a bad rented tux, comes storming in and tries to drag her back, until the best man restrains him and the bridesmaids hustle the bride away. phil watches the whole drama play out, then turns back to nancy .
good start. i ' m sure they'll be very happy. so what do you say? you want to play doggie obedience school with me?
sit! stay! he watches her go, then tosses a tip on the bar and exits somewhat unsteadily.
he stands at the sink, looking at himself in the mirror, flexing his muscles .
nice going guys. that's yesterday's tape. phil crosses to the sink and gets a towel off the rack, only half-listening to the radio.
morning.
didn't we do this yesterday?
don't mess with me, pork chop. what day is this?
okay. sorry. i'm having a bad day. phil walks on, leaving the chubby man baffled and insulted.
d i d i? i don't know--
yes, thank you. i ' m feeling a little strange.
did you ever have deja vu, mrs. lancaster?
no, that's spaghetti. never mind. he heads for the door, still in a daze.
ma'am? excuse me. where's everybody going?
ned ryerson?
to tell you the truth, neddy, i ' m not feeling real well. could you excuse me?
do you sell insurance, ned?
did i say "fuck off, " ned? i can't talk to you right now. he backs away from ned and steps right into the same deep, slushy puddle he stepped in the day before.
i've got to talk to you. i think i'm losing my mind.
slap me, rita.
i said hardl
do it! rita shrugs and slaps him very hard.
better. almost too hard, rita.
no, drunk is more fun. can i be serious with you for a minute?
yes. i ' m being serious. i' m having a problem-- no, i may be having a problem.
i'm trying to say that if i was having a problem, just hypothetical ly, i ' d like to know that you're someone i could count on in a crisis.
were not going to miss it. (indicating the other
okay, put it here.
put the camera here . rita takes a forlorn glance towards the press area, where all of the other cameras are set up .
we were in the wrong spot yesterday .
just trust me. put the camera here .
no hurry. larry glances over at the other news reporters, all talking to their cameras and pointing towards the mound.
okay, let's do it. he crosses over to larry and taps him on the shoulder.
roll tape.
we ll, it's groundhog day-- again-- and you know what that means. everybody's here on gobbler's knob waiting in the cold for the appearance of the most famous groundhog in the world, punxsutawney phil, who's going to tell us just how much more of this we can expect. the groundhog club official knocks on the groundhog's door, then opens it and retreats. phil takes a deep breath and makes his first experimental prediction, recalling the previous day.
my forecast is we're going to see the groundhog peek its head out of its hole, look around a little bit, then he's going to come out, scamper over to this general area, look at the crowd for a second, make a little burping noise and run back into the ground.
o k ay ? and here we go-- phil points to the hole and larry zooms in. the groundhog sticks his head out, looks left, looks right, steps out of the hole, and runs away from the press pool, directly over to larry's camera. as he stands there, his body casts a long shadow. the groundhog looks right into the camera, lets out a squeak, and runs back into the hole. rita and larry are completely amazed as the crowd cheers the brief appearance of the groundhog. larry pans back to phil. phil just stands there speechless, staring at the groundhog burrow.
i know there's a blizzard, but i have to get a call through to my doctor in pittsburgh. it's a medical emergency. . . .no, don't give me the punxsutawney fire department. when do you think the long distance lines will be working again?. . . but what if we don't have a tomorrow? we didn't have one today, my friend.  hello. hello? he hangs up and shakes his head which is now really starting to ache, then he pops a handful of tylenol, lies down and pulls the covers up over his head. a moment later, he sits up, takes a pencil from the nightstand, breaks it in half and puts the pieces back on the nightstand. then he lies back down and retreats back under the covers.
i ' m conducting an experiment.
(with forced good
how was that?
could i talk to you about a matter that is not work related?
do you know what i did last night?
i destroyed my hotel room.
no, it's okay. this morning it was all right again. that's what i have to talk to you about.
because i've done it before.
i ' m not talking about last year. i ' m talking about today. i lived it before.
big time. rita, i know it's nuts but i keep reliving the same day o ve r and over-- groundhog day-- today. this is the third time.
no, really. it's like today never happened. i shaved my head last night, today its all grown back. i could probably cut off my limbs, one by one, and - pop! they'd grow back. just like a starfish. i probably don't even have to floss?
'cause i'm not making it up. i'm asking for your help. rita looks at him for a long moment.
the truth? i'd 1ike you to spend the next 24 hours with me and don't leave my side for a second.
wa it a second--
so much for the truth. larry pokes his head in the doorway, looks around, spots rita and makes his way over to their table.
yeah, but you're still a psychologist. you must have had some course in school that covered this kind of thing.
so based on that what would you say?
you're saying this thing is not really happening to me?
then how do i know this conversation is really happening?
then forget about me paying you. a discreet little alarm sounds.
wait! are you saying i'm crazy?
you think that's a realistic possibility? a paper airplane sails past his head, accompanied by a noisy outburst of juvenile laughter. we pull back to reveal:
gus, what would you do if there was no tomorrow?
no, i mean like if it was never going to end. if everyday was the same and you were stuck here and you couldn't get out and nothing you did mattered?
that's it. it just doesn't get any better than this, does it? good friends, good conversation and quality brew. drink up, boys. they salute each other and drink.
hey, friends don't let friends drive drunk. give me your keys.
it's nothing. get in. they all pile into the front seat with phil at the wheel.
seatbelts. ralph and gus give him the thumbs up sign and start digging around in the seat cracks for their seatbelts. suddenly, phil floors the accelerator and peels away, sideswiping a parked car as he screeches around the corner.
this is great, ralph!
no problem --
so many rules --
"don't do this--"
"don't do that -- " he mows down a row of parking meters.
no more rules!
having a good time?
phil.
right.
mrs. lancaster, has anyone been around here looking for me this morning? maybe a state official, blue coat, hat, gun, nightstick, badge, driving a late-model ford br chevy, black and white with bub ble lights on top--
apparently not. phil gooses her, grabs a sweet roll, and heads for the door, starting to believe now that he can truly do anything he wants to.
ned! ned ryerson! ned the head! before ned can say another word, phil slugs him. ned goes down, phil puts his glove back on and keeps walking. phil deftly avoids the slushy pothole he stepped in before. a pedestrian walking behind him steps right into it.
you here to see the groundhog? she gives him a look. it's obvious she's never seen him before.
what's your name?
where'd you go to high school?
who was your twelfth grade english teacher?
i'm waiting.
walsh. nancy, lincoln, walsh.
i'm not really sure. we'll have to see. phil walks off and joins rita at their camera position.
i don't worry about anything anymore.
that's exactly what makes me so special. he takes a big bite of cake. rita shakes her head.
what?
"there was a young man from na n t uc k e t-- "
at this rate-- never. (he pulls out a pack of
just the opposite, rita. i have a life wish. i'm just trying to enjoy it. taking pleasure in the little things. don't you ever just want to cut loose and go wild?
yeah, well, that's where i come in. going wild is one of my specialties. last night i got completely loaded and drove head- on into a police car.
that's my point. i know you won't believe me, but we could do anything we want today and it wouldn't matter one bit. absolutely no consequences. complete and total freedom.
you leave that to me. why don't you send larry back and hang out with me for the rest of the day? you never make it through that blizzard anyway. larry enters the diner and spots them.
don't worry. i plan to.
nancy? nancy turns and looks at him quizzically.
nancy, right?
nancy taylor? lincoln high? i sat next to you in mrs. walsh's english class.
phil connors.
you don't remember me, do you?
we used to shoot spit balls--
i even asked you to the prom.
yeah.
i ' m great. wow, you look terrific. hey, listen, i gotta d o this report--
weatherman. channel 9, pittsburgh.
but maybe after we could --
oh , rita . the woman suddenly freezes. there is a moment of silence, then she snaps on the light. it's nancy, not rita. phil is as surprised as she is by his slip of the tongue.
o-rita. nancy laughs uncertainly. phil switches off the light, thinking now about rita.
yes, it is. you don't usually find this many trashy novels in one place.
no, thank you. i've actually read them all. i was just rereading some of the dirty parts. he finishes and puts the book back on the shelf.
indefinitely. i've already been here for 211 days.
you guys ever been held up before? (they shake their
yeah. by the way, i'm phil. he raises the mask and shows his face.
herman and felix. okay. take it easy, boys. and thanks. the frightened guards watch as phil makes off with two large satchels of cash.
i'll take it. how much?
i'll tell you what. i'll give you $70,000 if you just knock off the car salesman stuff and let me get out of here with my car. the salesman gawks as phil opens his briefcase and starts counting out stacks of bills.
yeah, we are, we are. but first i have this movie theater fantasy i want to talk to you about. he escorts her into the theater.
yeah, but eventually you' d just get tired of screwing around and then you'd want a real relationship, wouldn't you?
get down, brunoi
down , bruno ! it's tough to find a relationship like that, especially if your time is kind of limited. but you still have to try, don't you? bruno! i told you! off the bed! phil looks over at angle who's passed out with her mouth open
there ' s got to be more to it than this.
psychic. so did you have a nice evening?
i got my whole body tattooed and part ied all night with some nymphomaniac biker chicks.
no, they're gone. rita, if you only had one day to live, what would you do with it?
no, i mean like what if the entire world was about to explode?
no, i just want to know you better. what do you like, what do you want, what do you think about, what kind of men are you interested in, what do you do for fun?
i'm just trying to talk to you like a normal person. isn't this how normal people talk?
okay, so talk to me. c'mon, i'll buy you a cup of coffee.
you have a career.
how about the other stuff? you seeing anybody?
what i really want is someone like you.
why not?
you'd what?
then maybe you'd like me? she stares hard at him.
why don't you stay for a while? the road's going to be closed anyway. do you really want to be stuck in the van with larry for three hours?
well, you heard it right from the groundhog's mouth. bundle up good, 'cause it's going to be a long winter-- at least in punxsutawney. reporting for channel 9, this is phil connors. larry stops tape.
oh, hi, rita. you still here?
jack daniels.
oh, hi, rita. you still here?
wouldn't you know it. buy you a drink?
tequila with lime, gold if you've got it. rita looks at phil, surprised.
what should we toast to?
to the groundhog! rita stares for a moment.
tequila with lime, gold if you've got it. rita looks at phil.
to world peace. rita smiles, reevaluating him.
you like your job?
you weren't in broadcasting?
really? what a waste of time. rita looks offended. phil knows he made a mistake.
you weren't in broadcasting?
la fille qui j'aimera sera comme bon vin qui se bonifiera un peut chaque matin. rita smiles, entranced.
best fudge in town.
i like small towns. i think they engender real community more than big cities.
no kidding. here-- try the white chocolate.
no white chocolate.
what?
about what?
do you like how this day is turning out?
you're wrong. i've been planning this day for weeks. rita ignores the remark and hugs him. phil tries to kiss her but she gently puts her fingers to his lips, stopping him. \ they enter the bed and breakfast inn.
tomorrow? wait, aren't you going to come up to my room for a while?
noreason to end a perfect day.
no, you should. the, uh, the poetry! i've got some books, rimbaud, beaudelaire, we could l ig ht a fire--
(seeing it all slip
but there is no tomorrow for me!
why not? rita, i love you!
please! you have to! rita shakes loose from his grasp.
no, it was real. i love you.
but i can change! i really can-- rita slaps him hard on the cheek.
it's cold out there everyday. what is this -- miami beach? haw. not hardly. and you can expect hazardous travel later today with that, you know, blizzard thing.
hi, nancy.
no, i guess not. i thought you were someone else. phil wanders over to where rita and larry are setting up the camera. rita comes over to him.
you don't know me? i've been playing here every day for two months.
i don't know. i seen you.
they call me-- punxsutawney phil.
yeah, like the groundhog. phil sinks another one.
who are watson and crick.
what is "twelfth night."
count basie.
two thousand six hundred and s e ve n ty -o n e-- two thousand six hundred and se v en t y -t w o -- two thousand six hundred and seventy-thr-ee-^- a woman passes walking her dog.
hey, pick up after your dog!
he's going to!
s i x hundred--
two thousand, four hundred--
yeah, i got a problem, buddy! i can't stand this place anymore! i can't stand this street and i can't stand the fourteen bars and the five banks and the one star food and the bad weather and the "quaint" little shops and most of all, i can't stand anything-- anything-- with a groundhog on it. he rips a groundhog patch off the cop's jacket sleeve.
phil.
yeah, like the-- --groundhog. some big new idea has formed in his mind.
there is no way this winter is ever going to end as long as that groundhog keeps seeing his shadow everyday. i don't see any other way out. he's got to be stopped and i've got to stop him. for channel 9 news, this is phil connors.
(at the end of his
coming to the end of the trail, phil. then we're going out in a blaze of glory.
okay, pal. it's showtime. phil hits the gas.
he slowly opens his eyes and blinks. he looks around and realizes he's back in his room at the bed and breakfast.
ah, nuts! phil throws off the covers and hurls himself out of bed.
i'm a god.
no, i'm a god. not the god-- at least i don't think i am.
no, it's true. it's the only possible explanation. i'm a supernatural being.
(to rita, ignoring the
--but i always wake up the next day without a scratch, without even a headache. i'm telling you, i ' m immortal.
because i want you to believe in me.
how do you know i'm not a god?
how do you know?
hey, billy! the waiter turns back.
this is bill. he's been a waiter for three years because he left penn state and had to find work. he likes the town, he paints toy soldiers, and he's gay.
this is doris kleiser and her fiance fred.
they're supposed to get married tonight but doris is having second thoughts.
this is ralph. say "hi," rita. rita flashes a quick smile.
ralph hates his life here and wants to drive around town smashing into policemen.
yes, it's a trick. but maybe the real god cheats, too. maybe god isn't omnipotent-- he's just had a lot of practice.
tom. worked in the coal mine til they shut it down.
i told you the truth. in five seconds there's going to be a grease fire in the kitchen. five, four--
--three, two, one. phil points to the kitchen as smoke starts pouring from the service window. everyone in the diner is now staring at them
i know all about you, rita. i know you like producing, but hope for better than channel 9, pittsburgh.
you like boats but not the ocean. there's a lake you go to in the summer with your family, up in the mountains, with an old wooden dock and a boathouse with boards missing in the roof, and a place you used to crawl underneath to be alone, and at night you'd look up and see the stars. you're a sucker for rocky road, marlon brando, and french poetry. you're wonderfully generous; you're kind to strangers, and children; and when you stand in the snow, you look like an angel.
i told you! i wake up every day right here, right in punxsutawney, and it's always february second and i can't turn it off. if you still don't bel iev e me, listen--
listen! in ten seconds larry is going to walk through that door and take you away from me.
but you can't let him. please believe me. you've got to believe me.
look. as rita turns around to see larry, phil grabs a pen and pad from a passing waitress and quickly writes something down as larry makes his way to their table. phil finishes writing.
afer i got over the shock, it was kind of fun for the first year or two. i had anything i wanted. except you, of course.
i don't know. i just woke up. just like always. ned ry-erson approaches.
rita, this is ned ryerson. he's an asshole.
trust me on that one.
no, it isn't. you hate fudge.
i told you. i know everybody. rita stops walking.
you're european trained, aren't you. phil continues walking.
you weren't interested.
i understand.
you did.
so do you believe any of this?
i used to try to stay up all night sometimes. i thought if i could stay conscious i could figure out what was going on, or at least hang onto something from the day before. but i gave up on that a long time ago. rita looks at him with compassion.
(trying to shrug it
yeah, sure. that'd be okay.
it's not in the wrist so much as the fingers. be the hat.
uh-uh. six months. four, five hours a day.
now you know. it's like waiting for a bus that never comes . you should see me play pool -- and bowling, juggling, hacky sack. i can ride a unicycle. there ' s a knock on the door .
i'll get it! phil jumps for the door and opens it. the pizza guy is there.
hi, marty. $11.75 including the delivery charge, right?
of course. i told you, i know everything .
that's not the worst part.
the worst part is starting over everyday. tomorrow you won't remember any of this. you'll go back to treating me like a complete jerk --
it's not your fault. i am a jerk.
okay, i ' m not. it really doesn't make a lot of difference. i've killed myself so many times, i don't even exist anymore. i'm just completely empty.
if you're going to be this positive all the time i may have to rough you up a little.
which part?
no, this is the first time.
well, what?
good. really good. he takes a slice of pizza and starts eating with gusto.
me, too.
i hope so. the clock reads 11:59. rita grabs phil's hand. he puts his arm around her. they look into each others' eyes. rita gives phil a reassuring smile. she squeezes his hand. their eyes turn to the clock. 11:;59 turns to 12:00. rita looks up at phil as if expecting some magical event.
i know.
not 'til six.
i never said midnight--
but i never said it.
does that mean you're going?
it's okay to go to sleep you know. i promise i won't touch you-- much.
i was saying that the cow was eventually returned to it's rightful owner.
that's right. he looks at her, sees she's truly asleep, and gently maneuvers her into a comfortable reclining position on the bed. then he carefully puts a pillow under her head and settles down next to her.
what i was going to say was, i think you're the kindest, sweetest, prettiest, most wonderful girl i ever met in my life. she starts to stir but he gently kisses her back to sleep.
shhhh. that's good. (satisfied she's still
i know a guy like me could never deserve to have someone like you, but if i did, i swear i would love you for the rest of my life. rita opens her eyes.
good-night, rita. he kisses her gently on the forehead.
rita? she looks at him without a trace of the rapport they shared the night before.
thought you might like some-- he hands her the coffee.
careful, it's hot. larry? he hands larry a cup.
you know, i bumped into buster greene, he kind of runs this thing, and he tipped me off that we might get a better shot over there.
i mean, maybe we should go for it. what do you think?
i'll get that. phil helps larry carry the camera gear.
you and i never talk, larry. you got kids? larry looks suspicious. rita looks on, reevaluating phil.
where would i find the philosophy section?
i ' d like a piano lesson, please.
i'll give you a thousand dollars. mary hesitates only a moment, then ushers phil into the house and closes the door. a moment later the door opens and a little girl with an armloa of music books exits as if pushed. the door closes behind her.
buon giorno, signore.
"winter slumbering in the open air wears on his smiling face a dream of spring."
technically, yes. phil plays on, definitely improving.
in fact, the groundhog's legendary ability to predict the weather may be more than just the german folklore of the region. higher temperatures trigger hormonal changes in the testosterone levels of male groundhogs, which may in fact wake them from hibernation and send them out to battle with other males ;for mating rights. so, the truth is they're not looking for their shadows, they're looking for groundhog chicks. rita looks on, clearly delighted with the report.
groundhog day, february second, also known as candlemas day or the feast of the purification of the virgin mary, the day mary first came to the temple for ritual blessings following the birth of the infant jesus, and celebrated since the middle ages by the sacramental lighting of candles. hence the old scottish couplet which long predates the .american groundhog tradition: "if candlemas dawns bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." larry whispers an aside to rita.
but what if the rules changed? what if none of your actions had consequences?
oh, is that so, miss plato? then let me ask you this. where does this "absolute good" come from? from the sky?
what?
i gotta go.
i got piano and then drums.
come on, i'll drop you off. they exit.
ned? ned ryerson! i don't believe it. i've missed you so much.
one day. i'm gifted.
hey, mister. hey. come on, let's get you somewhere warm. the old bum turns to look at phil, then closes his eyes.
there you go. phil practically carries him out of the alley.
how is he?
what'd he die of?
i want to see his chart. excuse me. phil brushes past her and makes for the big double doors leading to triage.
not on my watch.
come on . hang on . hang on , there . breathe .
when chekhov saw the long winter, it was a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope; and yet, we know winter's only one more step in the cycle. and standing among the people of punxsutawney -- (phil looks directly at
for channel 9 news, i ' m phil connors. there is much applause. even larry brushes away a tear. phil hands the microphone to rita.
sorry. i'm gonna be late. phil rushes off.
hey! did you forget to look both ways? you didn't even look one way.
yeah, well, my doggies are freezing, but i ' m still gonna watch out for cars. see you around, kid. phil looks at his watch and rushes off. rita looks on amazed and follows him at a distance.
if you're going to eat steak, get better teeth, will you? enjoy the rest of your lunch, gents. he exits.
rita!
i'm sorry, i'm really pressed right now. meet me outside the hospital about 5:00 and we'll talk about it.
try the curlycue fries. killer.
she's not diabetic. it's an overdose. let's get her up here and pump her stomach, then i want a complete blood work-up, stat.
call me phil.
exactly.
a giraffe? let's see. it's just like a dog with a biiiiig-- what was it?
a big tail? okay, a big tail.
there. a dog with long legs.
oh! right! a dog with a big head.
come on. we have to hurry.
that little bastard has never thanked me once . i ought to j ust let him fall. teach him a lesson.
yeah, you and me both. come on, we're almost done.
come on. you'll see. they enter.
just some friends. dorisi the bride, doris, young and cheery, is on her way to see phil. she is dragging fred, her groom, with her.
how's it going, fred?
are you kidding? don't buy that playing hard to get stuff. she's crazy about you, you stud.
congratulations. phil reaches into his pocket, pulls out two tickets and hands them to doris.
i don't know. i just thought about you two, tried to picture what you ' d want more than anything in the world and it came to me. bing! wrestlemania.
what do you want to know?
i really don't know.
okay, i wake up in punxsutawney on february second -- every day. it's supernatural. i don't even try to explain it anymore. so, i live each day as if it's the only day i've got. rita stares into his eyes for a very long time, but sees only good, true things.
you want to know what's really amazing? i've been waiting for you every day for ten thousand years. i dream of you every night of my life. you've been my constant weapon against total despair, and just knowing you exist has kept me alive. how's that? rita can't even speak. this is clearly the nicest thing anybody has ever said to anybody. mary the piano teacher notices phil.
hello, mary. rita, this is one of punxsey's finest musicians.
n o , i--
wait! don't move!
no, stay there. stand right th ere.
o kay, look.
this is how i see you. when it all gets too much, i just close my eyes and there you are-- just like this. take it home and keep it in the freezer. rita embraces phil. they are about to kiss, looking deep into each others eyes.
this one's for the frog prince.
nothing. they kiss-- a long, deep, soul-stirring kiss.
will you come with me? rita nods. they continue standing there, embracing, warming each other in the cold night air.
it doesn't matter. really, it doesn't. they kiss again.
you're here! my god! i can't believe you're here!
no! it's happened. don't you get it? it's tomorrow! it's -- phil turns on the radio.
i love those guys.
no groundhog! rita! they're all gone!
did i just dream it? phil opens the door and runs into the hallway wearing only pajama bottoms.
yeah!!!! phil runs back into the room.
it really happened! you're really here! he pounces on rita again.
you're really actually here.
let's go! he scoops her up in his arms.
anywhere! everywhere!
florence! say hello to rita. she loves me.
that's all right. i-- a florist steps out of the flower shop with a bouquet.
thanks, carl. phil smells the flowers, and hands the bouquet to rita.
and so began my final lifetime, and ended the longest winter on record. i would find myself no longer able to affect the chain of events in this town, but i did learn something about time. you can waste time, you can kill time, you can do time, but if you use it wisely, there's never enough of it. so you'd better make the most of the time you've got. a car skids on the ice and smashes into a tree. phil and rita rush over to help, but the driver waves that he's okay. rita and phil continue their walk.
larry never got through the blizzard, so none of my groundhog reports ever made it on the air. but rita and i-- we lived happily ever after. phil and rita walk off together. across the street, larry is trying to get rid of ned ryerson who is doggedly trying to sell him insurance.