Let's do the time loop again...

Harold Ramis' comedy "Groundhog Day," celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, is a film deeply layered with messages and insightful content, as evidenced by the cogent conversation generated yesterday at CineVerse. Here is a highlight reel of that discussion:

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS THAT MAKE GROUNDHOG DAY SO ENJOYABLE, INSIGHTFUL AND EFFECTIVE?

·       Excellent casting: Murray, with his wry humor, air of melancholy and sardonic demeanor, seems born to play the role

·       It can be appreciated as a deeply philosophical and spiritual film by someone of virtually any faith or philosophical point of view; it’s been hailed by many religious groups as the most spiritual movie of all time

·       The fact that the déjà vu repeated situations becoming irritating and monotonously irksome proves that the movie is doing its job: the situation is SUPPOSED to be frustrating and repetitive, and get under your skin, to make you think: what would I do if this really happened to me?

·       It plays out as an indulgent fantasy that allows the viewer to live vicariously through Phil: he does, in order, many of the things most humans would do: act selfishly and opportunistically, eventually despair and try to abort, and ultimately come to accept his fate and make the best of it. It’s similar to the well-known stages of grief, which include shock, denial, despair, and acceptance.

·       It’s set at an ideal time and place: during an overlooked, forgettable holiday that hasn’t been overexposed in the media; during the dead of winter, when it’s darker and colder; and in a po-dunk town populated by somewhat irritating small-town characters

·       It definitely works as a comedy, with many big laughs and running gags, but it also functions superbly as an insightful drama and philosophical piece

THE STOIC SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF ACQUIRING HAPPINESS IS TO RESIGN ONESELF TO FATE AND LIMIT ONE’S DESIRES. WHAT WAS PHIL’S SOLUTION?

·       Self-improvement, but not necessarily for selfish reasons, but to make a difference in the lives of others and to be more selfless

·       Acceptance of his situation, but without “giving up”; instead, he aimed to grow as a person, contribute to society, and, most importantly, truly love and respect another person (Rita)

WHAT MAJOR THEMES ARE EXPLORED IN THIS MOVIE? WHAT IS THE MORAL TO THE STORY?

·       The act redemption: a man earns salvation and redeems his soul by transforming his life

·       Karma: the spiritual concept that you get what you give, the good or bad you do will come back to you, and that you have to “graduate” and learn from life to advance to the next level

·       The Zen Buddhist tenet that it’s important to live in the present, not to focus on the past or the future, but to appreciate the now

·       The film asks the question: how transformative would it be to make a major breakthrough in your life?

·       We cannot move forward unless we are honest with ourselves about our faults and make strides to improve ourselves as compassionate, creative and thoughtful human beings

·       It is possible to learn from our mistakes and become better people

·       As one writer puts it: “When we get beyond denial and resentment over the conditions of life and death, and accept our situation, life ceases to be a problem and we can become authentic and compassionate.

·       Every day doesn’t have to be monotonous; explore every opportunity

PHIL’S LIFE AND THE TIME LOOP WONT CHANGE UNTIL WHAT HAPPENS?

·       Rita chooses him (with the symbolic act of bidding on him)

·       He can be happy in the moment: “I’m happy now” he says, “no matter what happens tomorrow or for the rest of my life”

THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF SYMBOLIC FORESHADOWING THAT HINT AT WHAT IS TO COME. CAN YOU CITE ANY INSTANCES?

·       The groundhog sees its shadow, meaning 6 more weeks of winter, and an interminable number of days for Phil to repeat: this is an example of fate and repetition

·       Phil asks Rita to slap him hard; he’s asking for it with his behavior; this is an example of rejection

·       Phil ends up behind bars in the jail for literally breaking the law; figurately, however, he’s in déjà vu prison

·       He tells Rita, “you look like an angel in the snow”; he later literally makes angels in the snow as an ice sculptor and he sculpts her face

DOES GROUNDHOG DAY MAKE YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER MOVIES, TV SHOWS, BOOKS OR CHARACTERS IN LITERATURE?

·       Sisyphus in Greek mythology, who was punished by Zeus and forced to roll a stone up a hill for eternity

·       The Stranger by Camus, which examined existential themes

·       Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and the film It’s a Wonderful Life: both main characters are given the supernatural gift of being able to see the errors of their ways and appreciate how wonderful life is and how priceless is the opportunity to become better human beings

·       Episodes of The Twilight Zone, including Judgment Night

·       Films later inspired by Groundhog Day, including 12:01, Retroactive, Repeaters, and Source Code

·       The TV series Day Break

OTHER FILMS BY HAROLD RAMIS:

·       Caddyshack

·       Vacation

·       Analyze This/Analyze That

·       Writer of: Animal House, Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Back to School