Groundhog Day - question on location

Why on earth would the producers of the movie Groundhog Day not shoot the movie in Punxsutawney, PA? I’ve been to Punxsutawney, and the town is very similar to the one in the movie. Granted, the town is a bit more, shall we say, depressing looking, but they could have spruced it up. Algonquin, IL is a nice little town, too. And they didn’t have to fight the “real” people of Punxsutawney, but that is one town that could have used the money influx that a movie like Groundhog Day would have brought in.

I’m sure it was a money issue somewhere… either Punxsutawney was asking too much or Algonquin was asking nothing to work there. But this would seem like a movie that should have been shot on site. Even Gobblers Knob was a fake shot. I don’t know how much research was done to match up things like store fronts and such, but Punxsutawney had (and may still have, I don’t know) a store called the “Smart Shop”. It surprised me that the movie put a “Smart Shop” in the movie town, so either it was pure coincidence, or someone did some great scouting.

Anyone know the real straight dope? The hamlet of Punxsatawney would have benefited greatly by the money from the movie that went to Algonquin.

Harold Ramis touches on this on the DVD commentary. IIRC he said the real town didn’t have that town square he wanted

That is really weird because there is a scene when it starts snowing and they are travelling back to Pittsburgh which is shot on 376W near downtown Pittsburgh. Maybe there are other scenes shot there, but that is the only one I remember.

It’s because of what anyone from DuBois could tell you: The people in Punxsutawney are so dumb the geese fly backward over that town.

It sure as heckfire was Woodstock IL, not Algonquin. Bing!

You can’t say “Bing!” and then link to a Google Map. Bing!

They didn’t have to spruce up Woodstock. It was already perfect–especially the town square and the B&B at the end of a cozy small-town street. Now am I right, or am I right . . . or am I right?

I didnt pull Algonquin out of my ass. That came deom an IMDB link. But if it was Woodstock, thanks for the correction.

I used to think that was where that shot was taken too, but now im not so sure. In fact, you are thinking of the very same spot i am, and i am almost positive that shot was taken someplace else. The only shot that i can say was taken in Pittsbirgh for sure was the overhead shot of the channel 9 van heading out of town. That was Pittsburgh from a helicopter. Other than that, i think the movie was shot elsewhere. The shot you are referring to has alsp been placed on I279 heading out of Pittsburgh toward the North Hills. However, i believe there is a road sign that is visible in that shot that indicates an interstate outside of PA,

. oh brother. When you are someone from DuBois and you think uou can throw backward flying goose shit at Punxy people, i’ve heard it all. now maybe if ou were from Holidaysburg or Altoona! (HeeHaw!). Interesting travel trivia! DuBois is French for Punxatawney.

Thanks. I have never seen the official DVD commentary, so this is obviously the answer. Cool.

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Needle nose Ned! Ned rhe head! You could be right. After all, the town I saw in the movie was pretty nice. However, if there is any town that has nothing going for it and could use a few hundred thousand dollars for renovations is Punxsy. All The Right Moves wqs shot in Johnstown (as was Slap Shot), so small town movies in down todden western PA towns can be done. And its good for the townsfolk, too!

But i guess if I’m Harold Ramis, and i look at the two locations, it’s probably an easy choice.

Most definitely Woodstock. My grad school roomie is from there and I’ve visited a few times. The town square businesses used to have tons of newspaper clippings and whatnot showing info about the filming.

Stephen Tobolowsky (AKA Ned Ryerson) describes the making of Groundhog Day in episode 33 of The Tobolowsky Files.

Great stuff. The podcast is about 45 minutes and a must-listen for fans of the movie, or even film-making in general.

You know, the more i think about this, i dont like Harold Ramis putting a town square in a town that doesnt have one. Where is the outrage for film accuracy?

If I remember correctly, Woodstock. IS a much more user-friendly town to shoot. The REAL Gobbler’s Knob is on top of a hill (surprise!), but pretty much by itself. The rest of the town is down at the bottom of the hill. There isnt much at all up at the “real Gobbler’s knob” except the fake tree stump. The main feature is a parking lot, and not a great one. No B&B, no Town Square, no coffee stand, no nothing. Heck, I sure as heckfire dont even think anyone’s knob gets gobbled up there.

Maybe they should just move the whole thing to Wookstock!

It’s a f-few f-f-flakes!

If Chewbacca sees his shadow, in six weeks the Death Star’s going to blast your planet.

Punxsutawney does have a town square and it’s been there since the town’s early days. Barclay Square is right in the middle of town. There’s a big stone bandstand, tall trees, a couple war memorials, and several civil war era cannon. The only thing that isn’t there is the artificial tree stump they yank the hog from every February. Said hog and his harem are, however, on display every other day of the year in the groundhog habitat in the municipal center that is at one side of Barclay Square.
When that movie was filmed, Punxsutawney was a pretty bleak looking place compared to Woodstock IL. In the last 15 years or so, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (from nearby Indiana PA) has dramatically expanded their Punxsutawney campus, opened a culinary school at a separate location in Punxsutawney, and also purchased and refurbished a major chunk of the downtown. Downtown now does compare pretty favorably with fictional Punxsutawney.
DuBois? Michael Jackson’s favorite town, wasn’t it?