
Each year on February 2, the movie Groundhog Day reenters the cultural conversation, looping endlessly on television and streaming platforms as audiences revisit one of the most enduring comedies of the 1990s. More than three decades after its release, the film remains closely tied to the holiday it immortalized, as well as to the Illinois town where it was filmed.
On screen, Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell shared an effortless chemistry as Phil Connors and Rita Hanson. Off camera, however, both have acknowledged in interviews that their working relationship during the 1992 shoot was occasionally tense. Murray has spoken candidly over the years about creative friction on set, a dynamic that has since become part of Groundhog Day lore.
That history resurfaced years later in a lighthearted way. During a 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, MacDowell’s daughter, actor Margaret Qualley, shared that she jokingly suggested to Bill Murray that he and her mother reconnect. Qualley noted that both actors now live in Charleston, South Carolina, and the coincidence struck her as amusing given their shared Groundhog Day history. The remark was clearly playful, but it quickly circulated as a reminder of how deeply the film continues to live on beyond the screen.
Released in 1993, Groundhog Day was filmed entirely in quaint town of Woodstock, Illinois, which doubled for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Woodstock has fully embraced that legacy. One of its most popular attractions for fans is the Groundhog Day Walking Tour, developed by the Groundhog Days Committee, which guides visitors through many of the film’s most recognizable locations.
Each February 2, the movie’s theme of reflection and renewal return once again, proving that Groundhog Day continues to repeat itself in the best possible way.
You can see it now, streaming on Netflix.
ALSO READ:
Blockbuster 2026 lineup of Chicago festivals and events




















