Groundhog Day (1993)
Director: Harold Ramis
Context:
After a successful string of comedy movies throughout the '80s, director Harold Ramis opted to create a film based on a screenplay by Danny Rubin. After helping Rubin rewrite the script, Ramis settled on Bill Murray to be the lead character, for he needed someone who could believably play both nasty and redemptive. Murray, having only just 5 years prior played a Scrooge-like character in Scrooged and having worked with Ramis multiple times before, was found to be the best choice.
The screenplay was an original piece, loosely based on ideas Rubin had after reading the 1892 short story "Christmas Every Day," as well as Interview with a Vampire where Rubin pondered the idea of what toll eternal life can really play on the human psyche.
It was an intriguing concept that hadn't been fully put to film before and what began as a simple premise became one of the most profound, spiritual, romantic comedies in existence.
Plot:
Self-centered weatherman Phil Connors is dragged to Punxsutawney, PA for the annual Groundhog Day celebration. After having the most miserable day of his life, Phil wakes up the next day to discover that it's Groundhog Day again, but only he is aware that the day is repeating. We watch Phil's personal journey of self-discovery as he is forced to endure the same day over and over and over and over and...
Analysis:
I love movies like this. As with last week's Snowpiercer, we once again have a movie that is based on the "eternal winter" plot, only this time it is affecting one individual as he's trapped in his own frozen hell. And, as with last week, the film just takes a simple idea and explores it to its fullest.
As a whole, it seems that the original screenplay's story remained mostly intact to the final product, but there were two major changes that I felt Ramis made for the better. The first was that the original story just started several days into Phil's cycle. He had already been trapped in the day for long enough that he knew everything there was to know about the town and the events of the day. To me, this removes a significant portion of intrigue, interest, and satisfaction for the audience.
The film as it stands gives us the day before Groundhog Day, so we can see how Phil normally acts, and then it gives us the first 5 Groundhog Days he spends in the cycle so we can grow along with him and learn the rules of his temporal prison along with him. Then the movie jumps an unknown number of days in the future where it's clear that Phil has learned a lot about the town and has been using it to his advantage. This is the perfect progression.
Through interviews and fanmade mathematics, the amount of time Phil spends in his time loop is either as little as 8 years or as much as 10,000 years (although I always thought he should have just spent 6 weeks given the whole "6 more weeks of winter" myth and, seeing as how we only see 38 specific days in the film, that's close enough). But the best estimate seems to be at least 33 years, based on how long it would take Phil to learn all the knowledge and skills he accomplishes by the end of the film.
My point is, there are a lot of days in forever, and we need to see the most important in Phil's life to fully appreciate his journey. While the film wasn't deliberately intended as such (it was intentionally avoidant of religion, so there is no explanation as to what force is "punishing" Phil by keeping him trapped), it seems to fit well with the Buddhist philosophies of life and the important days we see in Phil's progression support this outlook on life.
Phil's first Groundhog Day shows Phil at his most normal. Not necessarily his most unpleasant, but it's clear that a lot of his misery on this day is stemming from his own pessimistic attitude. Phil's second GD is the day that he realizes something supernatural is occurring which allows for many entertaining moments of Phil being scared and confused. Phil's third GD is when he realizes that this problem isn't going away and he needs to learn how to approach his new fate. It's at the end of the day he tries acting foolishly and rashly.
It's on the morning of Phil's 4th GD that he learns his actions are free of consequences and he begins his hedonistic period. This lasts at least 100 days, according to his dialogue, and Phil fills all of his vices. He eats whatever he wants, drinks, smokes, has sex, and virtually takes advantage of all the town has to offer. It's fun wish fulfillment, but it's also a little grotesque. Then he sets his sights on his producer Rita, whom he also wants to sleep with, but can't really pursue in the course of a day since she knew him the "day" before and already has a negative view based on first impressions (although, she is his eternally optimistic opposite). So he enters a more nuanced "wooing" period where it seems like he has grown and matured, but it's really just another chance to indulge. And when their "perfect day" doesn't go as planned at the end (she says "no") he tries to rush through it again over the next several days to get what he wants. And, fortunately, she denies him every time.
Then we enter Phil's depression period. He feels that eternity has nothing fun left to offer him and he just wants to escape, even if it's through death. But lo, the gods of time don't let him get out that easily. And it's after Phil is at his darkest, do we get one more turning point of a Groundhog Day.
When he decides to come clean to Rita and tell him about what is actually happening (in a way that he can prove it), Rita helps him find a new perspective and allows him to realize that he has been given a great opportunity. This isn't a chance for Phil to not only better his own life. This is a chance for him to better everyone else's. And so, Phil genuinely spends the rest of his eternity trying to fix every problem he encounters in the town. And he doesn't rush anymore. He knows that some days he won't fix or save everyone. Some days he has to spend bettering himself, usually through a creative project like music.
This philosophy of letting go of everything to focus on accepting the nothingness of eternity is Buddhism in a nutshell and it seems like a wonderful guide to lead one's life. Even if you don't ascribe to that belief system, seeing Phil transform into an exceptional human being is inspirational.
My favorite video game borrows heavily from this film's concept, and the reason I enjoy playing it so much is because it makes me want to see how many people I can help as I relive one day. Not only is it fascinating to see how their daily lives change through my own minor actions, but it's great figuring out the pattern that can finally help everyone all at once.
The Ending (February 3rd):
What I like about Phil's last day trapped in the cycle is that the perspective shifts to Rita and we don't really know how many times Phil's perfect last day has been building up. Phil is at a place in his life where he manages to fix all of the town's problems while also exploring his own talents and he actually seems perfectly content. He has grown to love Rita but after dozens (thousands?) of years, he has accepted that she will never truly be with him. But on this final day he just happens to reach the level where she officially changes the way she feels about him. And that's what seems to be what breaks the curse.
Now, the original script had Rita trapped in her own time loop on Feb. 3rd, but that goes completely agains the meaning of this movie. Yes, it's a little unfair that Phil got an eternity of enlightenment while Rita is just a normal person who so a co-worker do a complete 180 degree personality shift, but I believe the movie was trying to show us that Rita was already the kind of person Phil needed to be and does not require her own time trap. Besides, it makes the ending all the sweeter that Phil chooses to stay in Punxsutawney of his own volition.
Final Thoughts:
What starts as a mysterious science-fiction comedy becomes a heart-warming tale of spiritual redemption and it has enough quotable lines and signature moments that it makes repeated viewings fun, if not mandatory.
This is a character study that shows a man at his best and at his worst. We see him do things that would be unforgivable in real life, but given his immortal situation, we feel that he is able to earn enough time to redeem himself. With time, anyone can be a better person, and if this film doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will. I tend to watch this on New Year's Day, give it's themes of renewal, but it's okay to wait a month and check it out every Feb. 2nd.
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