One of my favorite movies is Groundhog Day. For one thing, it has a great premise: a man is forced to live the same day — the weather-detecting “holiday” known as Groundhog Day — over and over and over again. For another, it’s got what’s arguably the greatest performance of Bill Murray’s career. But what makes it special for me is what it doesn’t do.
First, there isn’t any “They’ll think I’m craaaazzzy!” moment in Groundhog Day. You know that moment in some films, when something weird or unusual or supernatural has happened to our Hero, like switching bodies or waking up as a woman or growing younger or older overnight? You would think the protagonist would take some direct, straightforward action to solve the problem, like telling somebody about it, or trying to get help, or doing something. But no — instead, they’ll short-circuit that thought by
In Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Connors (Murray) has already repeated the same day twice already; the third time is definitely not a charm for him. In this scene, Phil immediately tries to solve his problem in a conversation with his producer, Rita.
Phil and Rita sit together at the same table they had previously. The WAITRESS approaches.
How could he just come out and say that? According to some, that should end the movie, right? Yet that’s true only if you don’t allow Rita to have her own perspective and self-interest, her own information and, more importantly, lack of information.
What Rita says in reply is:
RITA
I’m waiting for the punch line.
PHIL
Really. This is the third time.
RITA
I am wracking my brain, but I can’t imagine why you’d make up a stupid story like that.
Rather than effectively end the movie, her response reflects her own perspective, and from her perspective, Phil sounds crazy to her.
PHIL
I’m not making it up. I’m asking you for help!
RITA What do you want me to do?
PHIL
I don’t know! You’re a producer, come up with something.
We might hear that line as a joke, but to Phil, it’s no joke. He’s desperately looking for help, even though his situation appears to be an absurd impossibility. His response is not a joke — from his point of view, it’s his uncertain attempt to solve his problem. The important thing is to allow the characters to try to solve their problems, even unsolvable problems, to the best of their flawed ability.
Larry enters the diner, looks around, spots Rita and makes his way over to their table.
LARRY
You guys ready? We better get going if we’re going to stay ahead of the weather.
RITA
Let’s talk about it back in Pittsburgh.
PHIL
I’m not going back to Pittsburgh.
RITA Why not?
PHIL Because of the blizzard.
RITA
You said that would hit Altoona.
PHIL I know that’s what I said.
RITA I think you need help.
I’m often interested in what dialogue isn’t there. This last line could have been the set-up for a joke —
“I think you need help.” “Well I certainly don’t need _______!” Think of all the punch lines a writer might have come up with. All the witticisms. All the funny shit he could have said: “Well, I certainly don’t need an enema!” “No, what I need is a stiff drink!” But Phil doesn’t want or need to say a joke here:
PHIL
That’s what I’ve been saying, Rita. I need help.
Phil simply wants, he needs help. So when Rita says, “I think you need help,” he’s attuned to that, that’s what he’s been listening for. So his response is simple, direct, and honest. Some people might want jokes at this point — the writer, the producer, the audience. But not Phil. More important than jokes or witty banter is what wins for the character. Winning doesn’t create funny, but it helps to create the comic. It creates a scenario whereby he can be comic but he’s not under the gun to have to be funny every line.
Seems like it could be another set-up, right? In the hands of a bad writer, it’s time for another joke.
“You know what you may need?” “I don’t know, a _________?” (Fill in your own joke here.) But again, own course of treatment, and Phil’s trying his best to figure it out. He doesn’t come up with a joke; he comes up with the best answer a layman can give. The comedy actually depends upon him not joking.
Trying to solve his problem. If he tries to say something clever, it’s going to be one of those, “Oh, there’s
PHIL is sitting at a bar in the back of a bowling alley, next to the two TRUCKERS. All three are nursing beers and shots.
PHIL
I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank pina coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. That was a pretty good day. Why couldn’t I get that day . . . over and over and over?
TRUCKER 1
You know, some guys would look at this glass, and they would say, “That glass is half empty.” Other guys would say, “That glass is half full.” I peg you as a
“glass is half empty” kind of guy. Am I right?
PHIL
What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered? phenomenon that he’s going through, the others react to the painfully accurate description of their lives.
The joke is built on character, not wordplay. It’s a joke that’s not a joke. (We’ll be talking more about jokes and joke construction in Chapter 14.)
No tomorrow? That would mean there would be no consequences. There would be no hangovers. We could do whatever we wanted!
PHIL
That’s true. We could do whatever we want.
PHIL swerves the wheel into a street corner, hitting mailbox, kiosks, garbage cans etc.
TRUCKER 1
If we wanted to hit mailboxes, we could let Ralph drive!
Phil’s question is not rhetorical; he’s looking for an answer, any answer. And even though we can see from our perspective that the answer he gets may be a stupid idea and isn’t really going to help, he’s open to what seems like a viable solution, one that might possibly win for him. It’s what he’s been listening for.
He asks real questions, looking for real answers, and when he thinks he’s heard something that could help, he immediately puts it into action. He’s constantly looking to solve his problem.
A parked COP CAR starts its engines, siren blaring.
TRUCKER 1 I think they want you to stop.
PHIL Hang on.
PHIL executes a tricky three-point turn-swerve, and starts driving backwards fleeing from the police. Several police cars have now taken up the chase.
PHIL
It’s the same thing your whole life: “Clean up your room.” “Stand up straight.”
“Pick up your feet.” “Take it like a man.” “Be nice to your sister.” “Don’t mix beer and wine . . . ever!” Oh and “Don’t drive on the railroad tracks.”
At this, PHIL has indeed driven right up onto the railroad tracks TRUCKER 1
(now totally wide awake)
Phil, that’s one I happen to agree with.
In Groundhog Day, Phil is allowed to try to solve his problem as best he can. The fact that he can’t or that his solutions are sometimes skewed is only because he’s a Non-Hero.
1 I found out as a director, simple is not so easy to do. An actor once refused to take a direction, telling me, “I can’t do that, it’s too simple — it’s not an interesting enough choice!”
2 One time, my wife and I were on the way to a wedding, and I’m in a tuxedo on the floor of my car with a little hand vacuum cleaner because my wife thought there were too many crumbs on the floor. I said, “Who’s going to see it?” “The valets!” So even though we were rushing to a wedding, there I was, in my tux, on my hands and knees, vacuuming out the floor of my car.
3 Given, an improv term: The given circumstances in an improv, sketch, or scene.
4 Lazzi, Commedia term: a piece of business, gag, shtick.