Groundhog Day takes a reliable sci-fi trope and cuts out all the science fiction, leaving only the metaphor intact.
Self-centered weatherman Phil (Bill Murray) is not looking forward to this year’s Groundhog Day. Once again, he must go to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and report on whether the famous groundhog saw his shadow. It already feels like he’s done this over and over, and he’s more than ready for a change.
Once there, he goes through the motions, putting forth the minimum effort. But then Punxsutawney doesn’t allow him to escape. An unexpected blizzard blocks his exit at the end of the day, and he awakens in his hotel room only to discover that it’s still February 2. Every morning is a new February 2 as Phil relives those 24 hours over and over and over.
The date may remain the same, but the day changes based on Phil’s choices. He cycles through various reactions to his predicament: alarm, frustration, nihilism, excitement, selfishness, despair, and ultimately acceptance. It’s only when he accepts that he’s trapped in this day that he finally begins to grow into a better person and starts using his endless time productively. The time loop is a special type of purgatory.
The script by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis gives us no explanation for why Phil is stuck doing the time warp. It just happens, and Phil needs to deal with it. Since there’s no cause, there’s no solution for him to figure out. What he does need to figure out is whether he wants to continue descending into hell or work toward some semblance of heaven.
Most time-loop stories require the protagonists to gradually unravel their situation as they progress through each new loop, achieving incremental progress before they’re shunted back to square one, usually without any memory of what they’ve repeatedly experienced. This sort of premise has resulted in wonderful episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Doctor Who, but Groundhog Day is going for something different.
Without any solution to piece together, Phil can only learn to accept where he is. And that’s what he needed to do even before the time loop kicked off. The movie reminds us to make the most of wherever we are right now. What are you going to do with this particular set of 24 hours? And how will you build on that for each successive set of 24 hours?
Will you punch Ned Ryerson in the face, or will you be kind to him? Which feels better in the moment? Which version of the day gets you to a better evening?
Phil’s unusual predicament may allow him to learn a variety of skills in a single day, but he had opportunities to get started on any of those during his previous trips to Punxsutawney or even elsewhere. He wasn’t as trapped as he had thought, and we might not be either. We may not have endless time, but we do have room to maneuver within today, even if only a little bit.
Time loops and other gimmicks don’t need to get too complicated. Often, it’s best to zero in on what the gimmick actually means and what it has to tell us. The how isn’t nearly as important as the why.