10 anecdotes about “Un jour sans fin”, released 30 years ago

For lovers of American cinema, February 2nd must sound like a date like no other: it’s Groundhog Day! This traditional festival served as the backdrop for one of the most cult films of the 90s: “Groundhog Day” by Harold Ramis with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.

And this February 2, 2023 is not quite like any other: it is indeed the year of the 30th anniversary of the film which was first presented to the public on February 4, 1993 and released the following week in theaters. The opportunity to return to ten anecdotes about this story that plunged you into an infinite time loop.

1 – This film takes its origins from “Interview with a Vampire”

Not the movie (released in 1994, so after “Un jour sans fin”), but the book! “Interview with the Vampire” was originally a novel published by novelist Anne Rice in 1976. While reading its sequel, “Lestat the Vampire”, screenwriter Danny Rubin had the idea to work on questions of immortality, and how great humans, rather than vampires, could be. could do it if he had immortals ahead of him. If the first project followed a man who didn’t age throughout history, Danny Rubin finally thought about locking him up in a small town in America.

2 – It’s probably not a comedy

After the first version of the screenplay was written, it took months to come up with a final screenplay for the film. This one was even finished just a few days before filming began. At issue, the deep disagreements between director Harold Ramis, screenwriter Danny Rubin, and lead actor Bill Murray. On the one hand, Harold Ramis, director especially of “Ghostbusters”, wanted to subtly accentuate the humor of the film to make it a true comedy, while the original screenplay by Danny Rubin was much darker. On the other hand, Bill Murray preferred to focus on the more philosophical aspects of the story, and hoped for a more contemplative film.

The bickering between the two men would last throughout filming, creating a bad atmosphere on set. After much criticism of the film soon after its release, Murray has finally acknowledged its quality – and the fact that it allowed him to show a different side of his acting. But Murray and Ramis remained angry until 2014, just before the director’s death.

3 – How many days is the duration of the film?

In the film, we see some of Phil Connors’ (Bill Murray) days…but not all of them! During his timed loop, the somewhat unsympathetic weather show host character mainly learns to play the piano, reading dozens of books, etc. So much knowledge that cannot be acquired in a few days. After the film was released, many theories circulated about how long it actually lasted, with some days being suggested, others hundreds of years, as if the time loop were some kind of purgatory.

In fact, film buffs like his design team agree with the fact that in total, Phil Connors remains stuck in time, to be around thirty years, to be sure.

4 – Groundhog Day really exists

As unlikely as it may seem, Groundhog Day parties are not fiction! From writing the first version of the screenplay, Danny Rubin put a time loop on this local holiday that not many people outside of the United States know about. But in fact, the party is in several cities in North America, including the town of Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania, where the action of the film takes place.

Since the film’s release in 1993, this small town has grown in popularity, and many curious people have come to see the guinea pig emerge from its burrow and which will indicate, whether it sees its shadow or not, whether winter is nearing its end. or whether to continue.

5 – Sonny & Cher were there from the start

The script changed a lot during pre-production and shooting, but one element never changed: the song that wakes up Phil Connors’ character every morning. From the initial version of the scenario by Danny Rubin, this song is already present.

6 – The ending plan of the movie was actually improvised

At the end of the film – sorry we leaked the film to you, but 30 years later, time barred – Phil Connors, out of his time loop, takes Rita (Andie MacDowell) out and the door over the garden gates. And it was not planned! The portal is simply frozen. Admittedly, it was actually filmed in very cold climatic conditions (despite it being done in spring), with many scenes being shot in temperatures below 0°C.

7 – This film has no sequels, except… in video games

Immediately after the film’s theatrical release, it was decided that there would not be a second film following the end of Groundhog Day – even if one version of the script states that ‘we actually discovered, by the end of the film, that the other characters, and in particular Rita, are also caught up in their own time loop.

Only one sequel has been officially released, and that is in the form of a virtual reality video game – only available on the appropriate platform. Released in 2019, “Groundhog day: like father like son” (which can be translated as “Like father like son”) takes the main plot element, namely the time loop, but this time it is the son of Phil Connors who finds himself trapped in time.

8 – Bill Murray reprized his role… in a commercial

Bill Murray, an actor as legendary as the film, has only starred in one television commercial in his career, and this one uses a memorable motif from the film. There we find a Sonny & Cher song, an alarm clock, snow, and several other film actors continuing their roles for the event. The only new element (besides Bill Murray’s gray hair), an orange car, lets Phil Connors’ character take his mind off things…with a groundhog, who becomes his traveling companion.

9 – “Groundhog day” becomes a Broadway musical

Like many successful films in the United States, ‘Groundhog Day’ was adapted into a musical – screenwriter Danny Rubin originally started work on it because it was one of the few adaptations for which he had yet to give up the rights. Although the project was under consideration since the early 2000s, it wasn’t until 2016 that the show was installed, first in London, then in New York. This year, in spring, he will be back on stage in London. However, the musical did not include the song “I Got You Babe”.

10 – This film takes its origins from “Interview with a Vampire”

Not the movie (released in 1994, so after “Un jour sans fin”), but the book! “Interview with the Vampire” was originally a novel published by novelist Anne Rice in 1976. While reading its sequel, “Lestat the Vampire”, screenwriter Danny Rubin had the idea to work on questions of immortality, and how great humans, rather than vampires, could be. could do it if he had immortals ahead of him. If the first project followed a man who didn’t age during History, Danny Rubin finally thought…

And before this article devolves into a time loop, one final anecdote: in the cafe where Bill Murray’s character goes every day, you’ll notice that all the clocks… have stopped at the same hour.