Groundhog Day was added to the National Film Registry in 2006.
The Library of Congress selected the 1993 comedy for preservation because the registry recognizes films that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Directed by Harold Ramis and written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, the movie follows television weatherman Phil Connors as he repeatedly relives February 2 in Punxsutawney.
The film became a major cultural reference for repetitive situations, giving “Groundhog Day” a lasting metaphorical meaning. It was not filmed primarily in Punxsutawney; much of the production took place in Woodstock, Illinois, which supplied the movie’s recognizable town streets and square.
A common mix-up is confusing the registry year with the movie’s release year. Groundhog Day debuted in 1993, but its National Film Registry induction came 13 years later, in 2006. Other films selected that year included Fargo, Rocky, Halloween, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape.