12:01 PM is a 1990 short film directed by Jonathan Heap and starring Kurtwood Smith. It follows Myron Castleman, an everyman who keeps repeating the same hour of his life, from 12:01 PM to 1:00 PM. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
Acting
Kurtwood Smith's escalating panic is masterclass in contained hysteria.
Direction
Heap builds dread from fluorescent office lighting and ticking clocks.
Director
Jonathan Heap
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Groundhog Day's creators denied knowing this film, but the similarities sparked decades of 'who did time loop first' debates. 12:01 PM predates it by three years.
Kurtwood Smith was already famous as the dad from That '70s Show; this uses his buttoned-up authority against type, making his breakdown more viscerally wrong.
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