“Can you call in sick?”: The touching improvised scene in ‘Groundhog Day’
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American fantasy comedy directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray as a cynical weatherman who keeps reliving the same day over and over.
The film has had some significant impact since its release. It’s considered one of the greatest films of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest comedy movies ever. It also had a direct influence on popular culture. The title Groundhog Day has now become a widely known term, meaning a monotonous, unpleasant, and repetitive situation.
Groundhog Day also stays relevant through the constant debate on its theme and presentation of a time loop. A conclusive estimate of how much time passes in the film is a challenge for audiences. The movie has also led audiences to many interpretations of its thematic material.
The thematic value of time is presented in repetition, mostly patterns of specific events occurring a specific number of times. One of these events, repeated to establish and develop Murray’s character, is a frequent meeting with Ned Ryerson, an old high-school friend, in the street. Ryerson goes through the usual script of bumping into someone from high school before trying to sell Murray’s Phil some insurance.
As conveying the fantasy element of time repeating itself, audiences see this event take place in a pattern of four. The first time Phil is mildly annoyed when Ryerson attempts to prolong the conversation. Then the next two times, he has clearly grown more agitated, even trying to avoid his classmate. As usual, when the story progresses, and the characters develop, this eventually changes the fourth time, with Ryerson getting a surprise.
In the scene, Ryerson approaches Phil in the street, repeating his standard line, “Phil, Phil Conners? I thought it was you”. However, actor Murray goes off-script with: “Ned Ryerson! I have missed you” and hugs him for a long time, saying, “I don’t know where you’re headed. Can you call in sick?”. Ned’s actor had no idea what was going on; he just tried his best to stay in character.
This act of improvisation from Murray was a sweet surprise for his co-star and the crew. It also communicates some warming character growth for the role.
