200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Groundhog Day

By Ryan Gilbey
Series: BFI Film Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.01 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 124 ratings, 19 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Groundhog Day (1993), directed by Harold Ramis, is a landmark 1990s Hollywood film that blends science fiction with romantic comedy. The story follows Phil Connors, a cynical TV weatherman portrayed by Bill Murray, who becomes trapped reliving the same day over and over in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Beneath its feel-good surface reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life, the film explores themes of despair and redemption with philosophical depth, evoking the works of Samuel Beckett.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Groundhog Day. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This film appeals to fans of intelligent romantic comedies, classic Hollywood cinema, and viewers who appreciate films with existential undertones and complex character journeys.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

One of the first films to use a science-fiction premise as the basis for romantic comedy, it tells the story of a splenetic TV weatherman, Phil Connors (Bill Murray at his disreputable best), who finds himself repeating indefinitely one drab day in the milk-and-cookies town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
It is becoming clearer and clearer that Groundhog Day (1993), directed by Harold Ramis, is one of the masterpieces of 1990s Hollywood cinema. One of the first films to use a science-fiction premise as the basis for romantic comedy, it tells the story of a splenetic TV weatherman, Phil Connors (Bill Murray at his disreputable best), who finds himself repeating indefinitely one drab day in the milk-and-cookies town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. At first glance it seems like a feel-good parable in the tradition of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1943). But on closer inspection it is a deeply ambivalent fable, with strong echoes of Samuel Beckett: before he finds redemption Phil must plumb the depths of suicidal despair - and even after he has survived this, the film offers no guarantees that he will live happily ever after. Ryan Gilbey begins his account of Groundhog Day with the long and unlucky gestation of the script by Danny Rubin (who was interviewed specially for this book) which formed the basis of the finished film. Gilbey celebrates the inspired casting of Murray, alongside Andie MacDowell and less well-known actors such as Stephen Tobolowsky (who plays the reptilian sa

Series: BFI Film Classics

View all
  • Aguirre, the Wrath of God
    Eric Ames draws on original archival research to provide fresh perspectives on Werner Herzog's breakthrough 1972 film, Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes), which portrays an expedition by Spanish conquistadors led by Aguirre (played by Klaus Kinski) to find the legendary city of El Dorado. Ames explores how the film is remembered: for its breathtaking visual style...
    By Eric Ames
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Dont Look Back
    By Keith Beattie
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Jaws
    This study of Jaws (1975) examines how Steven Spielberg’s breakout film not only redefined the thriller but also pioneered the summer blockbuster, cementing his reputation as a master filmmaker. Against the odds of a catastrophic location shoot, 27-year-old Spielberg delivered a film so effective that it became the highest-grossing movie of its time, transforming Hollywood’s approach to event cinema. Adapted...
    By Antonia Quirke
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Die Hard
    Upon its release, John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988) was met with immense commercial and critical success; breaking the $100 million mark at the box office in its first run, and resulting in four Academy Award nominations. Jon Lewis’s study of the action classic closely examines the film's novel and script adaptation, highlighting the influential role of producer Joel Silver. He...
    By Jon Lewis
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Eraserhead
    A surreal and darkly humorous vision, David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977) has been recognised as a cult classic since its breakout success as a midnight movie in the late 1970s. Claire Henry’s study of the film takes us into its netherworld, providing a detailed account of its production history, its exhibition and reception, and its elusive meanings. Using original archival research,...
    By Claire Henry
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pulp Fiction
    Pulp Fiction was one of the films that defined American cinema of the 1990s and remains one of the stand-out movies of its director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino's style—violent, fast, funny, and full of knowing pop culture references—epitomises 90s post-modernism. Pulp Fiction was a phenomenal cult success and one of the first films to generate hot debate in internet chatrooms and...
    By Dana Polan
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Shoah
    Sue Vice's study explores Claude Lanzmann's epic 1985 film Shoah both as cinema and as an example of Holocaust representation. Shoah, the distillation of more than 350 hours of footage gathered over eleven years, tells the story of the Holocaust through interviews with survivors of the extermination camps, bystanders who watched or participated in mass murder, and some of the...
    By Professor Sue Vice
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Billy Elliot
    Set against the turbulent backdrop of the UK miners’ strike (1984–5), Billy Elliot (2000) follows eleven-year-old Billy as he pursues his dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Hailed for its heartfelt portrayal of working-class life and its powerful challenge to gender stereotypes, Stephen Daldry’s film is recognised today as a significant contribution to the tradition of British social-realist cinema. James...
    By James Leggott
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Blade Runner
    Ridley Scott's dystopian classic Blade Runner, an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, combines noir with science fiction to create a groundbreaking cyberpunk vision of urban life in the twenty-first century. With replicants on the run, the rain-drenched Los Angeles which Blade Runner imagines is a city of oppression and enclosure, but a city...
    By Scott Bukatman
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) is a film very much of its cinematic moment, combining the gritty realism of entrapment in the everyday with furtive dreams of escape. Dana Polan's compelling study of the film examines its significance to New Hollywood cinema and the science fiction genre. He argues that Close Encounters is a film that...
    By Dana Polan
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Rebel Without a Cause
    Nicholas Ray’s 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause is a globally recognised landmark of post-war American cinema. The film follows twenty-four hours in the life of troubled teen Jim Stark (James Dean), the new boy in town, who becomes drawn into a maelstrom of shifting social allegiances, emotional turmoil, and violence. Rebel tackled head-on the thorny political issue of juvenile...
    By Glyn Davis
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Some Like It Hot
    Billy Wilder's classic screwball comedy Some Like It Hot (1959), starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, tells the story of two struggling Jazz musicians who accidentally witness a mob massacre in Chicago. They then, disguised as women, join a female band to escape the gangsters' pursuit. Despite the film's popular reception, with Academy Award nominations for Wilder and...
    By Steven Cohan
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781844570324

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 April 2004

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: BFI Publishing

Illustration: illustrated

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 134.0mm

Height: 188.0mm

Weight: 160g

Pages: 96

Collections

Arts & Culture Non-Fiction Ryan Gilbey Series: BFI Film Classics

About the Author

Ryan Gilbey writes on film for the Independent, the Guardian, and Sight and Sound and is author of It Don't Worry Me (2004).

Also by Ryan Gilbey

View all
  • It Used to be Witches
    Playfully blending personal memoir, criticism, and candid new interviews with filmmakers from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, Ryan Gilbey's engaging and dynamic It Used to be Witches is a non-chronological treasure-hunt through queer cinema past and present. Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers), Cheryl Dunye (The Watermelon Woman), Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca), and Bruce LaBruce (No Skin Off My Ass) are...
    By Ryan Gilbey
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Groundhog Day
    Groundhog Day
    Groundhog Day (1993), directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray, is widely regarded as one of the most original and enduring films of 1990s Hollywood. What begins as a high-concept romantic comedy about a cynical television weatherman forced to repeatedly relive the same day soon deepens into a tale of despair and renewal, coloured by existential unease and the...
    By Ryan Gilbey
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $6399
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    22% off
    New Release
    I’ll Believe in Anything
    From Jacob Tierney, the creator of Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and Accent Aigu, comes I’ll Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Based on Rachel Reid’s blockbuster Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 and immediately took the world by storm. I’ll...
    By Jacob Tierney
    Hardback
    $4300
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    12% off
    New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    24% off
    The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    On Sale
    22% off
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    A Life in Lyrics
    Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...
    By Freddie Mercury
    Hardback
    $5000
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Artist's Way
    The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a transformative guidebook that has captivated millions, including luminaries such as Elizabeth Gilbert and Tim Ferriss. With its profound ability to inspire and elevate, this book invites readers to embark on an enriching creative journey, fostering a deeper connection to one's artistic process and sense of purpose. The heart of Cameron's groundbreaking programme...
    By Julia Cameron
    Paperback
    $3700
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    25% off
    This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $5500
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    24% off
    Beautiful Chaos
    The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    25% off
    The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “It’s undeniably thrilling to find words for our strangest feelings…Koenig casts light into lonely corners of human experience…An enchanting book.” —The Washington Post A truly original book in every sense of the word, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows poetically defines emotions that we all feel but don’t have the words to express—until now. Have you ever...
    By John Koenig
    Hardback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $4699
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Birdlands Birdlands
    New Release
    Birdlands
    A rare, intimate journey into the wild islands where Aotearoa's birds live beyond the reach of most human lives. In the most remote outposts of Aotearoa, our islands are populated not with people, but with birds. From the storm-lashed Subantarctic Islands in the deep south to the scattered volcanic islands of Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf in the north, Birdlands offers a...
    By Edin Whitehead
    Hardback
    $4199
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.