14 Things You Didn't Know About Groundhog Day

Bill Murray's comedy has become a classic of the genre and consistently ranks among the best films of the 1990s. We pay tribute to the film and tell you 20 interesting facts that you never knew:

14 PHOTOS

1. The idea of Groundhog Day comes from Friedrich Nietzsche's Merry Science, which describes a person living the same day over and over again.

2. Screenwriter Danny Rubin said that one of the inspirational moments in creating the story came after reading Anne Rice's book Interview with the Vampire, which made him think about what it's like to live forever.

3. Bill Murray, who plays arrogant journalist Phil Connors, was filmed near his hometown of Wilmette, Illinois. The film was filmed in nearby Woodstock (not Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania). Woodstock has a small sign saying "Bill Murray Stepped Here" on the curb where Murray constantly steps into a puddle. And there's another sign on the side of the building that says "Ned's Corner," where Murray was constantly molested by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky).

4. The late director Harold Ramis considered Tom Hanks, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and John Travolta for the role of Phil Connors, but he thought they were all "too good" compared to Murray.

5. Singer Tori Amos was considered for the role of Rita, which ended up going to Andie MacDowell.

6. According to Ramis, whenever he tried to explain a scene to Murray, the actor would interrupt him and ask, “Just tell me: good Phil or bad Phil?”

7. In the DVD commentary, Ramis said that the original idea was for Connors to live on February 2 for about 10,000 years. He later said that Phil probably lived on the same day for about 10 years.

8. Groundhog Day depicts exactly 38 days, in part or in full. According to the WolfGnards website, Connors spends eight years, eight months, and sixteen days trapped in Groundhog Day. But WhatCulture's Simon Gallagher claims he's stuck for 12,395 days, just under 34 years, to explain how to become a piano master, ice sculptor, etc.

9. Rubin and Ramis both said they avoided exploring the deeper dark side of the past when Phil could do really terrible things (like murder) without consequences.

10. Ramis ordered the kids playing snowballs to hit Murray with all their might. In response, Murray threw back snowballs with all his might.

11. Phil had to kill a groundhog in his lair. However, this has been changed.