Groundhog Day Page #26

DORIS:

Hi, Mr. Connors! Come ON,

Freddy.

FRED:

Hi.

DORIS:

This is the guy I told you about.

FRED:

No way!

PHIL:

How's it going, Fred?

FRED:

Hey, I ' d like to thank you for

making Doris go through with

this.

PHIL:

Are you kidding? Don't buy that

playing hard to get stuff. She's

crazy about you, you stud.

DORIS:

I ' m really glad you could come.

PHIL:

Congratulations.

Phil reaches into his pocket, pulls out two tickets and hands

them to Doris.

DORIS:

What is this? Oh, no way! No

way! Ahhh!

Doris throws herself on Fred and jumps up and down. Fred grabs

the tickets.

FRED:

Wrestlemania! No way! No way!

Doris throws herself on Phil.

DORIS:

How did you know?

-114-

FRED:

We're like going to be in

Pittsburgh anyway.

PHIL:

I don't know. I just thought

about you two, tried to picture

what you ' d want more than

anything in the world and it came

to me. Bing! Wrestlemania.

FRED:

Thanks, Mr. Connors. You're a

real pal.

DORIS:

This is the best!

Doris gives Phil a kiss. She and Fred move on.

RITA:

I don ' t understand . You rush

from one person to the next in a

town you only visit once a year,

you know everything before it

happens , and you -- - I don ' t know ,

you seem to be Punxsutawney ' s

leading citizen.

The band finishes a set. The guests stop dancing and head for

the refreshments. Phil and Rita are left alone for the moment

PHIL:

What do you want to know?

RITA:

Who are you?

PHIL:

I really don't know.

RITA:

No, there's something going on

with you.

PHIL:

Okay, I wake up in Punxsutawney

on February second -- every day.

It's supernatural. I don't even

try to explain it anymore. So,

I live each day as if it's the

only day I've got.

Rita stares into his eyes for a very long time, but sees only

good, true things.

RITA:

That's pretty amazing. "

-115-

PHIL:

You want to know what's really

amazing? I've been waiting for

you every day for ten thousand

years. I dream of you every

night of my life. You've been my

constant weapon against total

despair, and just knowing you

exist has kept me alive. How's

that?

Rita can't even speak. This is clearly the nicest thing

anybody has ever said to anybody.

Mary the piano teacher notices Phil.

MARY:

Phil!

(to her friend)

This is the guy.

PHIL:

Hello, Mary. Rita, this is one

of Punxsey's finest musicians.

·MARY

Give me a break. You should

talk. Why don't you play

something?

PHIL:

N o , I--

MARY:

Please.

FRED:

Hey, Mr. Connors. Go for it.

Phil looks at Rita. She nods and shrugs.

Phil walks up to the platform and sits at the piano. He begins

to play a slow, serious, classical piece. Everyone falls

silent. It's so beautiful, Rita is almost in tears.

Then, after a pause to let the serious notes sink in, Phil

transforms the piece into a fast, lively, upbeat jazz romp.

Everyone is delighted, and as the rest of the band kicks in,

everyone grabs a partner and begins to dance.

An old coot, UNCLE LEO, grabs Rita and the two of them dance up

a storm.

LEO:

That's a great guy you've got

there. Doctor Connors fixed my

back, you know.

- -116-

RITA:

Do ctor Connors?

Rit a looks over at Phil, joyously playing the piano.

CUT TO:

EXT . STREET - NIGHT

It is snowing lightly. Phil and Rita are walking slowly, arm

in arm, close. They stop and embrace. Phil looks at Rita.

She looks like an angel.

PHIL:

Wait! Don't move!

Phil scoops up some snow and begins packing it down, furiously,

joyously, then rolling it into a large ball.

RITA:

Making a snow man? I'll help.

PHIL:

No, stay there. Stand right

th ere.

Ph il lifts the now larger chunk of packed snow and sets it on

a mailbox. Then he looks at her, and starts to sculpt it.

DISSOLVE TO:

LATER:

Phil is using a stick and the heat of his bare hands to model

a delicate fold in the snow sculpture. Several bystanders look

o n with interest as Phil stands back from his work.

RITA:

Can I look?

PHIL:

O kay, look.

It is an excellent likeness of Rita, the snow white as

alabaster, pure as marble, a beautiful and delicate homage.

RITA:

(OVERWHELMED)

Nobody's ever done this for me.

Not even a drawing. It's

beautiful.

-117-

PHIL:

This is how I see you. When it

all gets too much, I just close

my eyes and there you are-- just

like this. Take it home and keep

it in the freezer.

Rita embraces Phil. They are about to kiss, looking deep into

each others eyes.

PHIL:

This one's for the Frog Prince.

RITA:

What?

PHIL:

Nothing.

They kiss-- a long, deep, soul-stirring kiss.

PHIL:

Will you come with me?

Rita nods. They continue standing there, embracing, warming

each other in the cold night air.

RITA:

(looks back at the ice

SCULPTURE)

We're just going to leave her?

PHIL:

It doesn't matter. Really, it

doesn't.

They kiss again.

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