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‘Groundhog Day’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Issa Rae

May 7, 2020 · Groundhog Day (1993) · Comedy · Drama · Fantasy · 1:29:34

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 26:1218 years - how long Phil Connors was trapped in the time loop
Issa Rae▶ 26:2820 years - how long Phil Connors was trapped in the time loop
Sean Fennessey▶ 26:4132 years - how long Phil Connors was trapped in the time loop

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 34:50Phil getting every Jeopardy answer right followed by his on-camera rant about Groundhog Day and destroying the alarm clock sequence
Issa Rae▶ 37:38Highlighted Phil's efforts to help the homeless man and realizing some things are inevitable, which fueled his depression
Sean Fennessey▶ 36:36Praised the montage of Phil getting slapped after failed seduction attempts, transitioning into deep depression and suicide attempts

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 52:27They never explore why Phil didn't just stay up all night - what happens if you stay up till 6:01 a.m.? Does it go to the next day or does your body naturally shut down?
Sean Fennessey▶ 53:19There's no logical explanation for anything in the movie - we never understand why he goes into the time loop or how it works, but you have to think of it as a fantasy like It's a Wonderful Life

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 56:02Stephen Tobolowsky — Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson) - suggests changing the award name to 'The Stephen Tobolowsky Award'
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:31Stephen Tobolowsky — Stephen Tobolowsky (Ned Ryerson) - calls it his 'Lincoln Memorial' performance, stands alone in the hall of fame for 'that guys'

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:12Stephen Tobolowsky
Sean Fennessey▶ 58:17Stephen Tobolowsky — Agrees with Stephen Tobolowsky

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 59:10Bill Hicks — Bill Hicks for Rick Ducamin's role, or a bigger actor - mentions Randy Quaid as the type of role but notes he'd done it too many times
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:26Steve Buscemi — Steve Buscemi for Rick Ducamin's role

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:21Bill Murray and groundhogs - the greatest connection of an actor and an animal ever, appearing in two iconic groundhog movies
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:05:28The religious interpretations across multiple faiths make it transcendent - Christianity sees it as purgatory leading to heaven

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:22Andie MacDowell — Yes for Andy MacDowell - this is her apex mountain, though he acknowledges Sex, Lies and Videotape was her best performance. Also discusses 'I Got You Babe' as belated apex mountain for Sonny and Cher through this movie.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:41Harold Ramis — Agrees this is likely Harold Ramis's apex mountain - the culmination of his great run and gets people to take him more seriously as a director. Discusses how the movie's accessibility helps its lasting power.

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:47You know, people like blood sausage, too. People are morons.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:28I was in the Virgin Islands once I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank pina coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. That was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get that day over and over?

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:17Bill Murray
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:24:19Bill Murray — Bill Murray - calls it the pivotal role of the back half of his career

Movies Referenced (28)

Ghostbusters (1984)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Issa Rae▶ 6:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Drive Angry (2011)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 2:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lost in Translation (2003)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 11:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:26:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 41:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 12:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Fugitive (1993)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:26:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crimson Tide (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Issa Rae▶ 1:29:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Happy Death Day (2017)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quick Change (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Schindler's List (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Sean Penn

18 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Issa Rae · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 2:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Jarmusch

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Broken Flowers▶ 12:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Corner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Saint, Open Your Eyes▶ 1:02:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ivan Reitman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Up in the Air, Ghostbusters▶ 1:17:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Hughes

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 1:17:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sofia Coppola

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation▶ 12:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Burton

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Edward Scissorhands▶ 12:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wes Anderson

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs▶ 12:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (35)

Bill Murray

63 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Issa Rae · Known for Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom▶ 2:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Murphy

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Issa Rae · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 39:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ann Ryerson

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Minority Report, Caddyshack▶ 16:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Issa Rae · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 39:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stephen Tobolowsky

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Groundhog Day, Wild Hogs▶ 56:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

White Lies

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 41:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Elliott

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Groundhog Day, There's Something About Mary, The Abyss▶ 51:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Vincent Hanna

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 58:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Keaton

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Spotlight, The Founder▶ 39:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Susan Sarandon

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Dead Man Walking▶ 43:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tori Amos

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Twister, Virtuosity▶ 40:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Russell

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Harold Ramis

29 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Stripes▶ 8:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Rubin

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Groundhog Day▶ 9:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Koppelman

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 1:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judd Apatow

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The King of Staten Island, Knocked Up▶ 1:16:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 24:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Kelly Hearns

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Incredible Hulk▶ 1:14:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗