Someone who was instrumental in bringing the movie cameras to Woodstock back in 1992 explained Monday how the city came to play the role of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in the “Groundhog Day” film starring Bill Murray.
Bob Hudgins, who served as the location manager for the film, shared some of the details of how the iconic movie came to life in Woodstock.
Speaking Monday at the Woodstock Opera House – which was also featured in the film – Hudgins explained how he was looking at locations from Central Illinois to Central Indiana to Wisconsin and Michigan. After scouting Mineral Point, Wisconsin, which Hudgins said was very similar to Punxsutawney, director Harold Ramis decided it wouldn’t work.
Hudgins said that, in a lucky turn, they ate lunch in Baraboo, Wisconsin, which he said has a town square.
He said Ramis asked after the lunch if there was a town square closer to Chicago. Hudgins had worked on “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” which also has scenes shot in Woodstock, so he knew the city.
Hudgins took Ramis to the Square the next day and asked the Opera House people if he could take Ramis to the bell tower. The Opera House people agreed.
“In less than 10 minutes, Harold made the decision. This is our town,” Hudgins said.
His presentation Monday followed Woodstock Willie’s prognostication of an early spring on the Square, just as it took place – over and over again – in the movie.
He acknowledged that, once the city was selected for “Groundhog Day,” there was some reluctance and opposition from people in town. Businesses organized to try to stop the shoot, Hudgins said, but the mayor and City Council were very supportive.
He also answered audience questions, including whether the Woodstock Jewelers sign that can be seen in the movie was an error. He said no, that it was purposely included as a tribute to their host city.
The puddle that Murray’s character repeatedly steps into was always part of the script, Hudgins said. Making it was pretty easy because it was on a cobblestone road. A city employee would meet Hudgins every morning and they would pull the bricks out. Then Hudgins would dump a five-gallon bucket of icy water in. And the bricks got put back when they were done.
Hudgins said it was a unique phenomenon for a movie to have an afterlife the way “Groundhog Day” does.
The movie also involved a lot of coincidences. When Hudgins went to the bed and breakfast to get filming permission, the owner thought Hudgins was pulling her leg. As it turns out, Hudgins said, she was from Punxsutawney and thought her friends put him up to it.
After his talk, Hudgins led a walking tour of the movie sites around town, which has become his own Groundhog Day tradition.
Later Monday, Stephen Tobolowsky, who played Ned Ryerson in the film, gave a talk and shared stories from his life to an almost full Opera House. Tobolowsky didn’t talk about “Groundhog Day” but asked how many people like the movie because of the catastrophe element versus how many like the love and happy ending.
Tobolowsky said it’s “closer than you would think.”