Groundhog Day (1993)

Probably one of my favorite films:

Although I've always liked this movie, this time viewing it, I watched it very closely. How did Phil (Bill Murray) originally act (selfishly), and what was the moment that he changed (selflessly)? We never know "why" he gets stuck or unstuck, but we do know that he's "in love" with Rita, actually able to show it -- when he confesses to being in love with her, his actions towards everyone else changes.

Here's what I noticed he did in the first half of the movie (his time being selfish):

He decided that there were no consequences. And so,
He and his drunk buddies went on a car chase with the police.
He punched Ned in the nose.
He kissed the old B&B woman.
He ate whatever he wanted.
He learned about Nancy (while calling her Rita) when the kissed.
He watched his favorite film 100 times, dressed up as a cowboy and got a woman to dress up as a barmaid.
And after all that, he started to learn what Rita wanted in a man.

He learned how to speak French.
He memorized a French poem.
He had multiple discussions with Rita to learn what she liked and disliked.
He "changed" himself to be that person.
In the end, his most impressive accomplishment might be learning French.

Has he given up on Rita (Andie McDowell), or will he keep trying? Her main complaint was: "You don't know me" and "This is all happening too fast." Is there anything he could do to change her concerns?

At this point, it's too early to say that Phil has "changed." Any change he makes is for his own reasons. On the other hand, you can't exactly say he's "hurting" anyone if they aren't aware of what he's doing.

Before he starts acting selflessly, he keeps trying to fool Rita into loving him.

She slaps him 8 more times.
His mood noticeably sours.
He breaks the alarm clock three times.
He enters despair.
We see him try to kill himself in a number of ways -- driving truck off rock quarry, jumping off building, electrocution in bathtub.
He also tells Rita about other attempts -- poisoning, burning, freezing, hanging, shooting, stabbing.

But then he tries to demonstrate to Rita that he's a god because he knows everything about the town, and her. She believes him, maybe, but even though she stays with him, she falls asleep at 3:02 a.m. When she's asleep, Phil confesses that he's always loved her. This seems sincere. Maybe the first time he's admitted this out loud.

And the next time the day begins, he acts differently:

He gives the bum on the sidewalk money.
He brings coffee and pastries to Rita and Larry (Chris Elliott).
He asks them for their opinions.
He helps Larry carry his camera equipment.
He reads.
He starts learning piano.
He learns how to ice sculpt -- with and without chainsaw.

He's still a bit naughty, hugging Ned to freak him out.

But he's almost always looking out for people -- helping save a kid falling out of a tree, changing a tire for old ladies, giving a guy a Heimlich maneuver. He does that over and over. He cannot help the bum live. He tries. But when that fails, he starts doing what he can do to help others. This seems to give him both purpose and a routine to fill out his day.

Rita notices how the town loves him. Bids all her money for him at the Bachelor auction.
Both Phil and Rita are completely happy in the moment. Phil tells her that. Seems sincere. They legit kiss. She stays with him all night (platonically).

When 6:00 a.m. hits this time, it's the next day. They seem to be planning their new lives together. He still has the advantage of knowing everything he's learned about Rita and everything else. He hasn't forgotten anything.

He asks her, "Is there anything I can do for you, today?" Indicating that he's more concerned doing stuff for her and her happiness than himself and his happiness.

Yes, it still feels like a Rom Com, of course, but I like this film even more now that I've stopped to see how it all happens. Some of the sequences seem "rushed," like Rita and Larry and the town all "love" Phil based off one experience they've had with him. It seems like a lot more experiences over time to us as viewers, but we have to keep in mind that it's not. It just feels that way because that's how we start to see the movie at the end. We naturally see the progression of linear time, and the movie probably "fools" us in the way it structures Phil's relationship to time -- both early in the film and then later in the film.

In the first half, for example, we see a lot more of the repeats, all the starts and failed attempts. That's really limited in the second half. Maybe a couple repeated scenes taking piano lessons, but that's it really.

Rating: 5/5 stars