It's Grondhog Day!

So, today, February 2nd, is Groundhog Day. This day always reminds me of my all time favorite movie of the same name, "Groundhog Day." Perhaps it’s because I can relate so well to Bill Murray’s character, TV weatherman Phil Connors, who repeats the same day over and over again. (Everyone else is repeating the same day but Phil is the only on who remembers previous days.)

It’s hard to second guess what Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin were thinking when they wrote the original screenplay, but there seems to be a supernatural force somehow controlling Phil's circumstances, perhaps as punishment for past his selfish behavior.


I know that this film is not a perfect picture of Christian virtues and the transformed life, but Phil learns that he is somehow reliving Groundhog Day over and over and over again. (He also learns what the “rules” are, such as there are seemingly no consequences carried over from the previous day(s). Early on he uses this to his selfish (sinful?) advantage. Isn’t that a picture of a worldly man indulging his flesh? As time goes on he begins to use this “gift” to help other people, perhaps a type of redemption and transformation.

It also doesn’t hurt that the beautiful Andie MacDowell plays Phil’s love interest, Rita, in the movie. At first she wants little to do with Phil. He gradually cleans up his act (there are 34 separate Groundhog Days depicted in the film, but they are set over a period of ten years! Like me, Phil was a slow learner...). Rita is eventually attracted to the man he has become.

Last, but not least, I like the fact that the movie has a happy ending. For me and my wife, this film is like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and we think that everyone should see both movies at least once a year!