Groundhog Day

If there were one holiday that you hated most, one holiday that you dreaded, one holiday that you tried to skip year after year, anybody would do everything in their power to stay as far away as they can from it.  What would happen if someone had to live that day over and over again, exactly the same, every time, forever?

          Phil (Bill Murray) is a self-centered celebrity weatherman who absolutely hates Groundhog Day but is forced to visit Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania every year to cover the story. This year seems to be the same boring story but when he wakes up the next morning and finds that he has indeed woken back up to Groundhog Day, hilarious insanity ensues. In the beginning of the movie it’s all about Phil figuring out how to deal with the fact that he is living out his worst nightmare and can’t find a way out. No matter what he tries it always ends up with him waking up on February 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He quickly finds ways to benefit from his dilemma and begins to take advantage of people. Phil is able to steal money, have one night stands with a woman, drive drunk and almost kill his friends, eat everything he can get his hands on, smokes, treat his coworkers like trash and never have any repercussions. After living for only himself he quickly becomes bored and lonely. A life lived with the only goal of benefitting yourself can be a very successful life, but in the end is it really worth it?

            Phil realizes that he is a very lonely man so he learns about everyone else’s life in the town. He shifts his concentration onto others instead of himself. He tries to save an old man’s life, he rescues a boy from falling out of a tree, he saves the mayor from choking on some meat, he replaces a flat tire for some old ladies, and on and on. He discovers the true beauty in life is in helping and caring for others. When he discovers this he finally finds a way into the life of his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). He had been trying to hard to get her attention and find a way to end up with her in bed with him but couldn’t get it. As soon as he gave up on finding his own happiness and started concentrating on helping others he became the better man she always wanted. It was then that the two of them became one and fell in love. It wasn’t when they finally had sex, but when they were true to themselves and cared for each other. This is a great story that portrays the effects that a single man can have on an entire society just by his attitude. Phil’s attitude affected the way he treated people and how people treated him. When all that changes, his world can change.

            Bill Murray used his comic genius to traverse the emotional journey from self-centered bigot to an adoring passionate man who found the love he always wanted. "Groundhog Day" is a classic tale of self-discovery that will stick with you for years to come.