I love a Groundhog Day! I started watching it as a kid and just kept watching it over and over into adulthood.
For the longest time, I took it literally: this is a story about a guy who gets stuck in a time loop and lives the same day over and over.
I was knee-deep in adulthood when I realized it’s a metaphor for feeling stuck in life. Bill Murray spends the first 3/4 of the movie feeling depressed and angry, fighting the time loop. He’s stuck and he’s angry. Then he becomes cynical.
Then, finally, he accepts what he cannot change. (Hey! That’s our theme from a few days ago!) can’t leave the town? Ok. He makes friends. He learns piano. He memorizes poetry. He learns to sculpt ice. He becomes nicer to his coworkers.
Once he has made peace with the mysterious, relentless time loop, he finally wakes up and gets to move on.
It’s 10 years of therapy and every self-help book rolled into one movie.
Oh, Reggie. I would have loved if this whole thing was just a piece on what it’s like to give that dog a bath.
We'll have to do an expanded series on Reggie one of these days. He is an absolute nut.
Seriously. The image of you, your girlfriend, and him was just so funny. I wanted more.
I have three comments.
1.) Hell yes to this whole essay.
2.) Hell yes to a partner who would alligator wrestle your shit-covered dog into submission so you can hose HER off.
3.) "The next morning, sore and tired, I looked in the mirror and smiled." Hell yes!
Lmao, #2 made Jenna and I both crack up. Amen to that. Appreciate you Rick.
Well done!
Man plans abs God laughs
Yep!
I love a Groundhog Day! I started watching it as a kid and just kept watching it over and over into adulthood.
For the longest time, I took it literally: this is a story about a guy who gets stuck in a time loop and lives the same day over and over.
I was knee-deep in adulthood when I realized it’s a metaphor for feeling stuck in life. Bill Murray spends the first 3/4 of the movie feeling depressed and angry, fighting the time loop. He’s stuck and he’s angry. Then he becomes cynical.
Then, finally, he accepts what he cannot change. (Hey! That’s our theme from a few days ago!) can’t leave the town? Ok. He makes friends. He learns piano. He memorizes poetry. He learns to sculpt ice. He becomes nicer to his coworkers.
Once he has made peace with the mysterious, relentless time loop, he finally wakes up and gets to move on.
It’s 10 years of therapy and every self-help book rolled into one movie.
Yes!! It's really an awesome philosophical premise and beautifully done. 10 years of therapy and self-help captures it quite well. Great movie.
Bonus points for the callback to the previous piece. Need to have you write a guest essay!
"Need to have you write a guest essay!"
Don't tease me, Alex! You know I would do it in a heartbeat.
Send me an email! alex.g.michael@gmail.com