# I'm watching Groundhog's Day again and not finding a thread. . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886 "2004-03-06T20:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/1 "2004-03-06T20:36:16Z")
Search ain’t working for me. There was a thread in which posters discussed exactly how many days Bill Murry actually lived through. Can anyone else find it? Does anybody really know how many days Bill lived through and I know he had to redeem himself somehow in order to break the cycle, but what were the exact criteria? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/2 "2004-03-06T20:39:56Z")
We’re watching it, too. From IMDB: > [@](#): > > Phil Connors goes through February 2nd, 34 times. There were many more days implied, for example how he knew everyone so well in the diner, but only 34 days were actually shown. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/3 "2004-03-06T20:43:36Z")
That’s what I meant by actually lived through. He learned how to play piano. That had to have taken a few years at least. ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/4 "2004-03-06T21:02:23Z")
On the DVD commentary, the director says that Phil may have spend the equivalent of hundreds of years stuck in Groundhog Day – in any case, it’s much, much more time than we’re shown in the movie. Trivia: originally the screenplay opened on the scene in the diner where Phil tells Rita “I’m God – well, a god anyway.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/5 "2004-03-06T21:03:10Z")
There’s really no way to calculate how many days he lived through. (A person actually can learn to play piano quite well much faster than that, so long as he is not having to learn to sight-read as well.) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/6 "2004-03-06T21:13:08Z")
> [@Wumpus](#): > > On the DVD commentary, the director says that Phil may have spend the equivalent of hundreds of years stuck in Groundhog Day – in any case, it’s much, much more time than we’re shown in the movie. It would have to be a really, _really_ long time. I think he learns the history of every resident in Punxsutawney. Do you think imdb counted every single day shown? It seems like more than that. I wonder if they counted every single day he got slapped, killed himself, smashed the clock. Since I didn’t count, I can’t be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/7 "2004-03-06T21:19:25Z")
IMDb has a link to [a page](http://www.khoral.com/staff/ele/play/movies/groundhog.html) that meticulously lists all the days shown in the movie, which number 34. I have never checked the page against the movie, but I see no reason to believe their list is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/8 "2004-03-06T21:30:47Z")
An absolutely unscientific comment about this movie, but I’ve found that in general guys tend to love it…and women tend to remain indifferent. Anyone else notice something similar? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/9 "2004-03-06T21:36:44Z")
My wife likes it. 🙂 (I just asked her when I saw your post.) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/10 "2004-03-06T21:42:05Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > An absolutely unscientific comment about this movie, but I’ve found that in general guys tend to love it…and women tend to remain indifferent. > > Anyone else notice something similar? Whattaya trying to say about me? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/11 "2004-03-06T21:42:58Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Whattaya trying to say about me? That you are really **Bigboy**. ---
**Author:** ![spiralscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@spiralscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spiralscratch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/12 "2004-03-06T22:01:56Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > An absolutely unscientific comment about this movie, but I’ve found that in general guys tend to love it…and women tend to remain indifferent. > > Anyone else notice something similar? Can’t say that I have. Pretty much all of my female frends love this movie also. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/13 "2004-03-06T22:20:20Z")
Count me as another female who loves this movie. I like it so much that I’m even willing to put up with Andie MacDowell in it, and for me, that’s something. And the extra bonus for me is getting to listen to bits of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini as he’s learning to play the piano. ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/14 "2004-03-06T23:19:45Z")
I’d just _die_. My birthday is February 3rd. :o ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/15 "2004-03-06T23:31:44Z")
From [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=3579072). > [@stolichnaya](#): > > Apparently, according to the new DVD comentary (which I haven’t heard but read about on the IMDB boards), the original screenplay was written with the figure **ten thousand years** in mind. Harold Ramis also commented on some TBS presentation of the movie that Phil spent some ten thousand days in Punxatawney. That second number seems reasonable. Read my last post of that thread. I killed it so badly I don’t think anyone ever read it. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/16 "2004-03-06T23:40:44Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > From [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=3579072). > > Read my last post of that thread. I killed it so badly I don’t think anyone ever read it. Holy cow! That link takes me to your reply box in that thread. That can’t be right. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/17 "2004-03-06T23:43:05Z")
Dammit, I had my quoted my post but then saw that **stolichnaya** had it first and erased mine and put his in. But I think he screwed it up for this is what I heard > [@Fern Forest](#): > > Last day and he’s the superman of the town. Catching falling children, saving choking victims, all the little things he can do to make peoples lives better. Rita sees him playing the piano and Ramis remarks on the commentary that at this point he figures he’s been there for about 10 years. Somebody asked for the source. Well not 10 years but 10,000 days. I’ll go try and find it and we’ll see. _plays the bit where Bill’s on the piano_ Ramis says 10 years. He specifically says “We figured he’d really been … That they had been repeating for about 10 years. That’s how he got so good at the piano.” Now that makes me think Ramis is only referring to the piano playing. I don’t know where **stolichnaya** got the 10,000 years. I never heard it on the commentary. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/18 "2004-03-06T23:48:48Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Holy cow! That link takes me to your reply box in that thread. That can’t be right. Heh, I think my first line in my previous post explains that. I like the roughly 10,000 days part and it does seem to work. I just don’t think there’s any such number in the commentary. Ramis just says about 10 for the piano. I also, at the time of the last thread, sat down and counted every day that past. Every slap, every flip of the clock numbers, every day as best I could and it is about 34. But it’s hard to be sure since it’s not always clear if a time cut is to later that day or to the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/19 "2004-03-06T23:53:07Z")
Can you tell I’ve been up for 48 hours? Just can’t sleep. Facts so far. From **stolichnaya** [ul] [li] Original Script had 10,000 years[/li][li] Harold Ramis said 10,000 days on TBS special[/ul][/li] From **Fern Forest** [ul] [li] DVD commentary says 10 years to learn piano[/ul][/li] OK, I don’t see any mistakes now. Sorry but my second (or was it my third?) wind crapped out on me when I opened this thread. I was all up and pumped a few hours ago. Must sleep. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886/20 "2004-03-06T23:55:31Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > An absolutely unscientific comment about this movie, but I’ve found that in general guys tend to love it…and women tend to remain indifferent. > > Anyone else notice something similar? Not really. My wife loves it, one of my best friend’s wife likes it a lot too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-watching-groundhogs-day-again-and-not-finding-a-thread/232886.md?page=2)