Stripes (6/10): Before Ghostbusters they were Stripes.

“We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts! But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more lovable than the mutt.”

Comedies have changed drastically over time and some of the humor that used to work in the past doesn’t anymore, but there is something nostalgic about revisiting that unique style. During the early 80’s there were a number of films centering around military cadet training such as Private Benjamin, Taps, Stripes, An Officer and a Gentleman, and so on. These irreverent comedies weren’t afraid of being politically incorrect, so some of the jokes might feel offensive and incredibly sexist in today’s world (which was the case in Stripes). Coming off fresh from his success in Meatballs, director Ivan Reitman decided to team up once again with Bill Murray for this military comedy. At the time, Murray was mostly known for his work in Saturday Night Live and the National Lampoon Radio Hour. He had gained some recognition for his roles in Meatballs and Caddyshack, but he was just getting warmed up with what would soon be his big break: Ghostbusters. Murray convinced Reitman to hire Harold Ramis to play his sidekick in Stripes, and despite having collaborated in writing the scripts for Animal House and Caddyshack, he had no prior experience as an actor. Reitman gave him the opportunity in Stripes and it marked the beginning of a successful collaboration between the three. And that is why I think Stripes is an important film because it helped pave the path for what was to come. It doesn’t hurt that Bill Murray is the star of this film because he is an actor who always elevates the material he’s in with his charisma and charm. He also shares great chemistry with Harold Ramis, who also proves to have a great sense of comedic timing. A lot of their dialogue was improvised and it helped the two were good friends before filming this. Include a funny supporting performance from John Candy and you have yourself a decent comedy with some hilarious and memorable scenes. 

The film introduces us to John Winger (Bill Murray) a struggling photographer who is working as a taxi driver. When a passenger begins getting on his nerves, he decides he’s not going to take it anymore. He stops the cab in the middle of a bridge and throws the keys out to the river. Things don’t get better when he arrives home and discovers his girlfriend is walking out on him for being a slacker and not going anywhere in life. John isn’t sure what to do with his life, so he convinces his best friend, Russell (Harold Ramis) to join the Army with him. They don’t do it out of a sense of patriotism or anything, but because they know men in uniform are attractive and they also want to get in shape. Once they enlist, their training begins under the sturdy hand of Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates). John doesn’t take this army thing seriously and that gets him and the troop in trouble most of the time. What he does find is romance, as he and Russell begin escorting two female MPs, Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young), which makes the experience all that more fun for them, but this eventually will lead the platoon inadvertently into enemy territory. 

Bill Murray proves he’s always been an expert at playing these wisecracking cocky characters and he does it in a very charming way so it’s easy to sympathize with him. The film does seem a bit unbalanced however with a final climactic act that seems taken out of another movie, but I still enjoyed its dumb humor. Stripes isn’t as popular as some of Murray’s later work, but it’s interesting to see his beginnings and realize he always had his charm. Stripes is an irreverent comedy, but it is unique in that it is quite restrained for what it is trying to say and do, and that is because of the way Murray and Ramis downplayed their characters. Stripes might not be one of Reitman’s best films but it is still an enjoyable watch.

My Review: Groundhog Day (9/10)

"What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?"  "That about sums it up for me."

There are films that don't necessarily need inventive and artistic camera shots, or groundbreaking special effects, or even gorgeous cinematography to be considered masterpieces. Sometimes a film like Groundhog Day comes along with a smart and charming story with performances and characters that are so well developed that it automatically connects with audiences by reaching for the heart, and turning it into an instant classic. With a premise that might seem boring due to the fact that the lead character has to repeat and live the same day over and over again in a small Pennsylvania town, director Harold Ramis manages to catch our attention by creating interesting characters and through a witty script he introduces important themes such as existentialism in a rather refreshing and light way. It is a very spiritual film without ever feeling religious. In a way the story reminded me of Dickens' A Christmas Story where you have an egocentric and arrogant character who is transformed once he experiences a supernatural event. In Groundhog Day the transformation is much more subtle while at times it does go to dark places. Ironically Bill Murray went on to play Scrooge in one of the many adaptations of Dickens' classic tale. Murray is the heart and soul of this film and although he is hard to like at the beginning of the film there is something about his performance that keeps us interested in him. This isn't one of those laugh out loud comedies (I don't think I laughed at a single scene), but it is so charming that it is impossible to resist and it leaves you with a smile on your face during its entire running time. Once it ends we realize how philosophical this film really was, but Ramis kept us so entertained that we didn't really pick up on it until the very end.

The original screenplay for Groundhog Day was co-written by Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin. It centers on a weatherman named Phil Connors (Bill Murray) working as a TV meteorologist for a local Pittsburgh station. Phil is an arrogant narcissist who is expecting to work for a more important broadcasting channel soon. On the eve of Groundhog Day, he is sent to the small town of Punxsutawney to cover the annual festivities along with his producer, Rita (Andie MacDowell), and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) with whom he doesn't get along very well. Phil hates this assignment which he has covered over the past four years so he doesn't put much effort into his report. After covering the event an unexpected blizzard forces the roads to close so Phil and his crew are stuck in Punxsutawney for another day. The next day Phil wakes up and realizes he has to relive Groundhog Day all over again and he's the only one that notices that the day unfolds in the exact same way. Everyone else seems to be living the day for the first time, but he finds himself stuck in the same day over and over again like if he were trapped in a loop hole with no way out.

The premise seemed boring for me at first considering I thought it was going to repeat itself too many times, but Murray's character is so fun and he relives each day in so many different ways that it managed to keep me entertained. At first Phil feels like he has gone mad and tries to rationalize things, but once he realizes his fate he decides to take advantage of it. Being the self centered person he is, Phil lives knowing he wont have to suffer any consequences, but eventually he grows tired of this hedonistic lifestyle. He feels so desperate that he tries to commit suicide in every possible way, but no matter what he does he still wakes up the next morning reliving Groundhog Day. Eventually Phil gives up on living for himself and begins looking at others and caring for them. He begins to find purpose and joy in life in helping others. Ramis has made a deeply spiritual and philosophical film without the audience realizing it at first. It could have become tedious and preachy, but it never does because the characters are subtly transformed and the growing chemistry between Phil and Rita is believable. Ramis found a way to reach out to our hearts and remind us that life isn't about living for ourselves, but finding pleasure in helping and caring for others. Groundhog Day is a movie about self-improvement and becoming a better person and I can't think of a better actor to have pulled it off so well as Bill Murray did in his transformation here.