It’s sad to lose great comedy film writer Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, etc.) who passed away yesterday. His classic, Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, is one of the great poignant comedies of all time. In his book Searching For a God to Love, Chris Blake describes it as “one of the most spiritual films ever made.” Selfish weatherman Phil Connors is a sneering, cynical prima donna who has to endlessly repeat life on February 2. He first uses the bonus repeat days to cycle through a million self-serving romantic overtures toward the lovely Rita (Andie MacDowell) – who slaps him in the face over and over and over. In the end, he learns to use this enforced time loop to bless the lives of others, rescuing kids falling out of trees, changing tires for strangers, performing the Heimlich on a choking man, staving off death for a homeless senior whose bio reads: “freeze to death tonight.” Just this one film would be a noble epitaph; Ramis will be sorely missed.
David B. Smith Books 