Three Films You Can't Help But Watch Over and Over

We have quite a few DVDs in the closet, with a wide variety film genres. However, there are a few that we have watched over and over again.

And one of these days, we will watch them again.

Bill Murray’s finest film - I have seen this so many times I use lines from the film in real life conversation. The film, released in 1993, is almost a tradition in our house. In fact, last Thanksgiving I put it in the player to have something on as I cleaned the house. It was not long before we were all sitting down, watching it yet again. Seeing Bill tell the groundhog to “not drive angry”, punch Ned Ryerson in the face, trick Nancy into going out with him ("Stay right here!") or tell Rita “What a waste of time”, brings home the holiday cheer.

The film stars Bill Murray as Phil Connors, Andie MacDowell as Rita, Chris Elliot as Larry the cameraman, and Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson.

Fun Facts about the film: Tom Hanks was considered for the part of Phil.

Bill ad-libbed when he asks Ned, "I don't know where you're headed, but can you call in sick?"

It was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois, not Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Bill Murray was bitten twice by the groundhog.

In 2006, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

This is Rodney Dangerfield at his peak. The film came out the same weekend as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and both featured the wonderful Edie McClurg in supporting roles.

Rodney is at his best here, playing Thorton Melon, the owner of Tall and Fat clothing store and former diver. His marriage falls apart and he senses his relationship with Jason, his only son, is becoming distant. He decides to go back to college with his son, and finds that his wealth can’t buy his college degree. Thornton sends his secretary to class to take notes, builds the dorm room into a luxury apartment, and hires Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. to write a paper on Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

This film was shot at the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986, and starred Sally Kellerman as the love interest, Keith Gordon as Jason, Robert Downey, Jr. as Jason's roommate, Derek, Burt Young as his bodyguard and Ned Beatty as the Dean of the school, Dean Martin. The always great M. Emmet Walsh is the diving coach, who remembers Thorton from his diving days, doing the Triple Lindy. Sam Kinison makes a short, but memorable appearance as a crazed history teacher. William Zabka, who played the bully in The Karate Kid, plays the diving jock that competes with Jason for the attention of Valerie Desmond, played by Terri Hatcher.

Rodney delivers many one-liners in this film, much like he did in his stand-up career:

“With the shape my body is in, I could donate it to science fiction.''

"Just remember, you're a Melon!"

"Why don't you call me when you... have no class."

Almost makes you want to go back to school.

This film is classic John Hughes. Ferris, a popular slacker at school, wants the day off. He plays sick, convincing his parents to let him stay home. He calls Cameron, his best friend, to skip school with him. Together, they get Sloane, Ferris's girlfriend, out of school. They spend the rest of day in Chicago, narrowly avoiding Bueller's father, and the principal, Mr. Rooney, who attempts to catch up with Ferris.

The film starred Matthew Broderick as Ferris, Alan Ruckman as Cameron (who was an elderly 29 when the film was shot), Jennifer Grey as Ferris’s resentful sister, Jean, Mia Sara as Sloane, Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward as Ferris’ parents, Edie McClurg as Mr. Rooney’s secretary, and future felon, Jeffrey Jones as Mr. Rooney. Ben Stein steals a scene as the Economics teacher. Stein improvised the entire scene, as he was an economist in real life.

Memorable lines:

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you might miss it.

Bueller?... Bueller?... Bueller?

Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.