After years of putting off this classic, I somehow picked it on a pretty bad day. Somehow my day actually improved after this movie. Even if temporary, it uplifted my spirits and gave me the push needed to start doing things again.
Premise (skippable): I was having a bad day. I was in a rut for most of the week, I had a fight with a family member and hadn't eaten anything since breakfast (this last bit was definitely my fault). At 9pm I finally got some subwiches and my favorite drink Thums Up and somehow landed on Groundhog Day. I have watched Edge of Tomorrow and Doctor Who before this and played a couple of other time loop games before this. What I knew about Groundhog Day was that it was a classic when it came to time loops. What I didn't know was why. I incorrectly assumed it was because GD was the first movie to do it. Soon I would realize, perhaps the time loop was only a small reason of this film being a big hit.
What Groundhog Day (GD from now) is a the journey of a man.
We start off with Phil, a weatherman who is tired of his job and has to reluctantly go to a small town to cover a local event called Groundhog Day with his new producer Rita (whom he has a slight crush on). He monotonously goes through the motions, only to find that he is reliving Groundhog Day again and again.
He gets himself checked by doctors but they can't find anything wrong with him. And then one night (or should I say one of the nights of Groundhog Day), he realizes there are no consequences to his actions, since he always relives the same day. This realization makes him indulge in his desires (from eating to one-night stands to reckless stunts), always learning from more and more loops to get more advantage.
Eventually he tries to seduce Rita, but she always stops him. This brings on his depression arc, where he commits suicides in a variety of ways, all to no avail. Until one day, he realizes that he actually loves Rita. And then he decides to be better.
He tries new things, learns new skills and helps people using his knowledge from previous time loops. He starts to find meaning in his life, whether that be reading books, creating ice sculptures, playing the piano or stopping people from having fatal accidents. Unfortunately, there is one homeless old man he cannot save, despite repeated attempts.
All these experiences start to change him, which finally leads to Rita falling in love with him and Phil's time loop is finally over.
What really stuck with me was the old man's death and how it was a turning point for Phil. While we can't save everyone, we can always help someone. This and the fact that even in his monotonous existence, Phil managed to learn new things, something I always like to do.
There's a scene when some drunk guys tell Phil that every day is a loop for them. And I realized that it's mostly true for me. I lead a monotonous life. And if Phil can learn new things, then so can I.
Which is how I finally found the motivation to write this.