# Was Groundhog Day (1993) the best movie released in February? (in the USA) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382 "2007-02-01T04:54:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/1 "2007-02-01T04:54:35Z")
The movie opened on February 12, 1993. It has been declared one of AFI’s 100 best comedies (number 34). Because of the title, the movie was released in winter, I have to say I have trouble remembering any other memorable movie released in February. This month seems to be the time to release the movies that sounded good in production but ended up bad or complete turkeys. Do you remember any other good February movies? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/2 "2007-02-01T05:23:53Z")
[QUOTE=GIGObuster] This month seems to be the time to release the movies that sounded good in production but ended up bad or complete turkeys. [/QUOTE] It is. Oscar hopefuls are often rushed out at the end of December so they’ll be fresh in the voters’ minds. Summer is the time of the big blockbusters. February is dead. Not enough people go to the movies to make a big campaign worthwhile, so this (and mid-fall) is when studios unload their dead weight. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/3 "2007-02-01T05:49:16Z")
\*\*Box office success: \*\* Scream 3 (2000) in 2000 $34,713,342 Feb 6th Star Wars (1977) 1997 $35,906,661 Feb 2nd {re-release} Hannibal (2001) in 2001 $58,003,121 Feb 11th Hitch (2005/I) in 2005 $43,142,214 Feb 13th 50 First Dates (2004) in 2004 $45,107,871 Daredevil (2003) in 2003 $45,033,454 Constantine (2005) in 2005 $33,624,407 Feb 20th Passion of the Christ, The (2004) in 2004 $83,848,082 Feb 29th \*\*I found some good movies to compete with Groundhog day: \*\* \*\*Feb 10th: \*\* L.A. Story (1991) in 1991 $6,616,915 Witness (1985) in 1985 $4,539,990 **Feb 9th:** F/X (1986) in 1986 $3,240,695 Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) in 1986 $1,265,826 Lady Jane (1986) in 1986 $55,964 **Feb 15th:** Silence of the Lambs, The (1991) in 1991 $13,766,814 Cannery Row (1982) in 1982 $1,500,000 **Feb 20th:** Whole Nine Yards, The (2000) in 2000 $15,915,676 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) in 1989 $6,167,651 Enjoy, Jim ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/4 "2007-02-01T16:20:44Z")
Of those, I would only rank _Silence of the Lambs_ as better. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/5 "2007-02-01T16:27:59Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Of those, I would only rank _Silence of the Lambs_ as better. [/QUOTE] I agree, but I would say \*Witness \* and \*Bill & Ted \* are \*Groundhog Day’s \* equals. Of the four, the two comedies are the ones I can watch over and over again and have done so. Jim ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/6 "2007-02-01T22:58:06Z")
Wow, thanks for that **What Exit?**! I always thought that \*The silence of the lambs \* was released on spring that year. And I agree with your choice of comedies. Excellent!!! ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/7 "2007-02-01T23:56:43Z")
I believe “Silence of the Lambs” was the earliest film released to then go on and win the Oscar for that calender year. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/8 "2007-02-02T04:39:40Z")
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom] I believe “Silence of the Lambs” was the earliest film released to then go on and win the Oscar for that calender year. [/QUOTE] By “THE” Oscar, you mean for Best Picture, of course. 'Cause “Witness” won a couple, for starters. (and should have won Best Picture, IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/9 "2007-02-02T22:53:13Z")
That’s really a remarkable accomplishment for “Silence of the Lambs” – released so early in the year, overcoming the stigma of being a horror movie, and _still_ winning best picture! This month doesn’t seem totally bereft of good movies – there’s one opening in the US later this month called “Amazing Grace” that got good advance press. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/10 "2007-02-02T22:58:37Z")
[QUOTE=Rodgers01] That’s really a remarkable accomplishment for “Silence of the Lambs” – released so early in the year, overcoming the stigma of being a horror movie, and _still_ winning best picture! [/QUOTE] In fact it is one of only three movies to winn Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. The other two were _It Happened One Night_ (1934) and _One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest_ (1975). ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/11 "2007-02-02T23:01:43Z")
Holy moly, I saw _Silence of the Lambs_ in the theater. What an awesome date that was. Everyone else "EWWW"d when Lecter touched Starling, but Amy reached over and grabbed my inner thigh. Yowzah. I like _Groundhog Day_ very much. In fact, I like it so much that I am actually able to watch Andie MacDowell “act” in a movie. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/12 "2007-02-03T00:06:16Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] …I like _Groundhog Day_ very much. In fact, I like it so much that I am actually able to watch Andie MacDowell “act” in a movie. [/QUOTE] Andie MacDowell attempts to ruin two of my all-time favourite movies: Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral. It is a tribute to the brilliance of those two movies that I will watch them repeatedly despite the presence of AM! ---
**Author:** ![zelie\_zelerton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/59ef9b/32.png) [@zelie\_zelerton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zelie_zelerton)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/13 "2007-02-03T01:13:54Z")
I thought that Groundhog Day was an ‘ok’ movie but nothing special really. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/14 "2007-02-03T03:31:30Z")
[QUOTE=JKellyMap] By “THE” Oscar, you mean for Best Picture, of course. 'Cause “Witness” won a couple, for starters. (and should have won Best Picture, IMHO). [/QUOTE] And \*Hannah and Her Sisters \* (1986) won 3: [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091167/awards](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091167/awards) > [@](#): > > Best Actor in a Supporting Role > Michael Caine > (After losing the Oscar three times Michael Caine was tired of attending the awards ceremony. Ironically he won the first time that year.) > > Best Actress in a Supporting Role > Dianne Wiest > > Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen > Woody Allen ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/15 "2007-02-03T05:58:17Z")
I have always considered _Groundhog Day_ to be precisely the movie that _Scrooged_ wanted to be but failed to achieve. It’s one of my favourite movies, I watch my DVD copy frequently. In fact, I may just watch it again now that I’m thinking of it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/16 "2007-02-03T07:56:23Z")
Speaking of the Oscar-laden _It Happened One Night_ — it was released in February 1934. _The Birth of a Nation_ opened in Los Angeles in February 1915. _A Clockwork Orange_ premiered in December 1971, but went into general release in February 1972. _Stagecoach_ opened in Los Angeles in February 1939, then went into general release in March. Chaplin’s _City Lights_ went into general release in February 1931, and his _Modern Times_ opened in February 1936. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/17 "2007-02-03T14:23:15Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] Speaking of the Oscar-laden _It Happened One Night_ — it was released in February 1934. _The Birth of a Nation_ opened in Los Angeles in February 1915. _A Clockwork Orange_ premiered in December 1971, but went into general release in February 1972. _Stagecoach_ opened in Los Angeles in February 1939, then went into general release in March. Chaplin’s _City Lights_ went into general release in February 1931, and his _Modern Times_ opened in February 1936. [/QUOTE] Wow, that is cool. I just did a little data mining on IMDB for my post above. Where were you able to dig up your facts? Jim ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-groundhog-day-1993-the-best-movie-released-in-february-in-the-usa/390382/18 "2007-02-03T15:02:17Z")
IMDb!