The One Thing I've Never Understood about Groundhog Day

The movie, not the holiday

To be clear, Groundhog Day the holiday is pretty unusual. I know we all don't find the weather forecast all that reliable, but we should probably trust professionally trained meteorologists more than a finicky rodent. And as it turns out, he's not all that good at his job either. But I can understand sticking by the holiday. It's a long-lasting tradition that's mostly harmless, and that's hard to break.

I also really like the Bill Murray movie too. I first got to watch it in a 3rd grade class (shout out to Mr. Buck). And going back to it for short spurts in consecutive days, it almost felt like I was in the same time loop that Murray's Phil Connors felt trapped in. I also have a very personal connection to it; most the of the movie was actually filmed in Woodstock, a small town outside Chicago where my stepmom grew up (shout out to Marissa).

It's a delightful film that has a far more profound theme than it needed. The time loop reminds anyone with a routine desk job of our own experiences, in a routine that seems to repeat itself over and over again. That idea will make it a movie preserved for generations. Like the plot itself, Groundhog Day's staying power is timeless.

The two faces of existentialism

But there's a gaping plot hole in this time loop. Something that never quite made sense for Phil Connors to not try out. He quickly begins to realize he's in a loop that brings him back to 6 a.m. every February 2nd. Why not pull an all-nighter to reach 6 a.m. on February 3rd? Isn't that the most sensible way to break this, to plow straight through it?

In the absolute worst-case scenario, Phil would pick up a key piece of information. He'd deduce when the time loop is taking place, and with that he could figure out what's causing it. Does the date simply shift back every morning at 5:15? Does it happen right at 6? Does it only work if Phil falls asleep, and will it bring him all the way to back to the 2nd even if he manages to stay awake through the 4th? These are the big questions that needed answers, but for some reason he never pursued them.

Does it take away from the movie? Not in the slightest. But that very question has mystified me since I first saw the movie in 3rd grade. It drives me crazy, as if the only song he could ever listen to was by Sonny and Cher.

Happy Groundhog Day!