i heart imdb:
According to director Harold Ramis, most of the times when he tried to explain a scene to Bill Murray, Murray would interrupt and ask, “Just tell me - good Phil or bad Phil?”
Early drafts of the script explained the cause of Phil Connors’ weird experience: a disaffected ex-lover called Stephanie cast a spell on him to teach him a lesson.
The French poem Phil recites in the German restaurant was written by Danny Rubin, based on the lyrics of Jacques Brel’s “Bachelor’s Dance”. Translated into English the poem reads: The girl I will love / is like a fine wine / that gets a little better / every morning.
In the penultimate encounter between Connors and annoying insurance salesman Ned Ryerson, Bill Murray was ad-libbing when he tells Ned, “I don’t where you’re headed, but can you call in sick?” and causes Ned to run away.
Tori Amos was considered for the role of Rita.
Bill Murray was bitten by the groundhog twice during shooting.
Director Harold Ramis originally wanted Tom Hanks for the lead role, but decided against it, saying that Hanks was “too nice”.
Writer Danny Rubin said that one of the inspirational moments in the creation of the story came after reading “Interview with the Vampire,” which got him thinking about what it would be like to live forever.
Bill Murray was undergoing a divorce at the time of filming and was obsessing about the film. He would ring Harold Ramis constantly, often in the early hours of the morning. Ramis eventually sent writer Danny Rubin to sit with Murray and iron out all his anxieties, one of the reasons why Murray stopped speaking to Ramis for several years.
Do I wish it would have been Tori Amos? Do I EVER?!! Would have been 600% more better.
