Groundhog Day: 15th Anniversary Edition

It’s a few groundhog days too soon to reissue one of the finest comedies of all time. The Ramos/Rubin classic about a cynical weatherman (Bill Murray in his best performance) who relives the same day over and over until he matures into a full human being hits the shelves with three new special features but a lot of duplication from the first edition. The best addition is an interview with director Ramis. Instead of explaining the making of his film, Ramis reflects on the impact it had on audiences, how religions — from Judaism to Buddhism — have embraced it and how it changed his life. Ramis is articulate and sincere, the perfect spokesman for this ingenious comedy. The deleted scenes are interesting but not worth seeing twice. Similarly, the mini-documentary about marmots is a good educational backgrounder but not a highlight. Ramis’s commentary and the featurette "The Weight of Time” are lifted directly from the earlier DVD release. Perhaps the DVD producers could have taken a cue from The Shawshank Redemption people and made a featurette about how religious groups have embraced this film as a tool in their spiritual teachings. Perhaps they could’ve included an audition reel. Maybe outtakes of Bill Murray acting surly, which we only glimpse in the "making of” featurette. If you’ve never seen or owned Groundhog Day, this anniversary edition is a fine addition to your collection. However, if you already own edition one, hang onto your money.