Upon its theatrical release, Ricomincio da capo was a moderate box office success, but as the years went by the film became a cult In 2006 it was chosen for conservation in the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress. In June 2008 the film was inducted at number 8 in the fantasy category of AFI’s 10 Top 10. In English-speaking countries, the original title of the film (Groundhog Day) has become a common expression for a dull and repetitive day.
The day of the groundhog, the plot of the film
The film was shot not in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, but in Woodstock, Illinois. There is a small plaque that reads “Bill Murray passed this way” on the sidewalk where Murray, in the movie, stumbles upon a puddle.
Originally, the script stipulated that Phil would have to kill the groundhog in its lair. The ending was changed, however, because it was too similar to Ramis’ previous film, Golf Ball (1980).
Director Harold Ramis initially contacted Tom Hanks first and then Michael Keaton for the lead role, but both turned down the part. In the end, it was Bill Murray, whom Ramis knew very well having worked with him several times in the past, who accepted the role. The film marks the film debut of actor Michael Shannon as the small role of Fred, the boy to marry that day.
For the role of Rita she was considered Tori Amos. Then the part went to Andie MacDowell
38 days are represented in this film, some partially, others entirely
Bill Murray was facing divorce at the time of filming, and was obsessed with the film. He constantly sought Ramis’ comfort, harassing him with phone calls. Instead, the director asked screenwriter Danny Rubin to stay close to Murray
Several episodes of numerous TV series (e.g. Star Trek, X-Files, Fringe, Supernatural) are inspired by this film
It took 25 takes for the scene where Bill Murray wakes up next to Andie MacDowell
The bed and breakfast in which Bill Murray’s character is staying in the film was actually an ancient mansion, 114 years old. In October 2008, the old building was bought by a couple from Milwaukee, with the intention of renovating it entirely and turning it into a true five-bedroom bed & breakfast.
Bill Murray was bitten by groundhog twice during filming, observing rabies prophylaxis accordingly
In 2004 the Italian remake of the film was released, titled It’s already yesterday and starring Antonio Albanese. The protagonist of the film is woken up every morning by the clock radio from which Linus’s voice comes out. A German remake was also produced in 2004, the TV film Ricomincio da capo (Liebe in der Warteschleife) directed by Denis Satin. In 2021, instead, it was released on Amazon Prime Video and Palm Springs Live as if there were no tomorrow, which tells the story of a man and a woman condemned to always live the same day
The song that wakes Bill Murray every morning, Sonny and Cher’s “I’ve Got You Babe,” was part of Danny Rubin’s original script from the very beginning. The clock radio is a Panasonic RC-
The statements of Harold Ramis they tell us that originally the script for Ricomincio da capo provided that the character would remain trapped for 10 thousand years, even if then probably he remains “only” in the film for about ten
Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in a scene from Ricomincio da capo, the film that made The Groundhog Day famous in Italy, or February 2
Source-tg24.sky.it