Groundhog Day
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Louis Black
    67
    There were a lot of ways for this film to go stupid; it succumbs to none of them.
  2. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    60
    Considering that none of the characters is fresh or interesting, it's a commendable achievement that the quality of the storytelling alone keeps the movie watchable and likable.
  3. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    A demonstration of the way time can sometimes give us a break.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    67
    The funniest moments in Groundhog Day come when Phil takes sneaky advantage of his predicament-by, say, pumping a sexy woman in the local coffee shop for facts about her past and then, ''the next day,'' using the information to lure her into bed. What the movie lacks is the ingenious, lapidary comic structure that could have made these moments fuse into something tricky and wild.
  5. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    88
    This movie has all the qualities necessary to be a crowd-pleaser: likable characters, charismatic performers, a strong, capably-executed premise, and lots of laughs.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    90
    A hilarious and unexpectedly profound comedy.
  7. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    63
    Dial your expectations to moderate, burrow in for the duration, and you won't be disappointed - it ain't exactly springtime, but there are worse things than an amiable outing on a winter's night.
  8. The New Republic
    Reviewed by: Stanley Kauffmann
    80
    Murray, more often than not, is pretty unbearable; but here, playing a man who is unbearable, Murray begins convincingly, amusingly, and gets even more amusing as he metamorphoses. [15 Mar 1993, p.24]
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  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Elvis Mitchell
    80
    That glimmer of recognition is what makes Groundhog Day a particularly witty and resonant comedy, even when its jokes are more apt to prompt gentle giggles than rolling in the aisles.
  10. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Corliss
    80
    [Murray] has the natural actor's charm of making manners matter. He carries Groundhog Day with his uniquely frittery nonchalance and makes the movie a comic time warp anyone should be happy to get stuck in. [15 Feb 1993, p.63]
    All this critic's reviews
  11. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    70
    Seeing it once is fine, but seeing it every day for the rest of your life is not recommended.
  12. Variety
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    60
    The film is inconsistent in tone and pace; fortunately the pay-off works, bringing some much needed warmth to the area.
  13. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hal Hinson
    90
    For once, the audience isn't forced to surrender its intelligence (or its healthy cynicism) to embrace the film's sunny resolution.
  14. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    60
    With its zany daily episodes, "Groundhog" gets stuck in a non-progressive repetition.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 1 out of 26
  1. JawsPapi87
    10
    One of the best comedies of all time. It's a perfect mix of comedy, actual intelligence and great acting. Bill Murray's performance is one of the best ever… Full Review »
  2. randomdude
    10
    Irony, at it's truest!

    A movie that repeats itself, over and over again, and which I CAN WATCH over and over again more than any other and lo    ve every minute... well, if not irony, then what -- awesomely funny at least!

    This movie is COMEDIC GOLD!

    I LUV LUV LUV this flik above all other comedies... Could it be the Franco-American Spaghetti phenomenon? Perhaps... I'll admit that could be part of it.

    Huh, you don't know about that? Well, when I was a kid liked FAS. If I had FAS as an adult, I'd no doubt hate it, but... well... it's too late... I love it, story over--I LUV LUV LUV'd it, as a child, and still do.

    Anyway, perhaps the magic this movie has is bound to time and age, but whatever, it will ALWAYS hold a warm place inside me. How many fliks do that?


    Whatever, I HEREBY DECLARE THIS FLIK COMEDY GOLD -- A NATIONAL TREASURE!!!


    It is to me, no other will be declared as such--my review, my hyperbole.    … Full Review »
  3. homestar4000
    10
    One of the best and finest comedy movie I have ever seen so far, about a weatherman stuck in the Groundhog Day. Excellent humor, story, and setting choice they used for the movie. Oh and, Bill Murray's fine acting as well. :)… Full Review »
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