Groundhog Day is an old, Dutch Pennsylvanian tradition which is observed every year on 2 February. A specially chosen groundhog dubbed ”Puxatawney Phil’ is used to predict whether there will be an early Spring or there will be six more weeks of winter. There is a special ceremony in the town of Puxatawney whereby this groundhog is observed as it peaks out of its hibernatory burrow. If it casts a shadow because the skies are sunny, that means there will be six more weeks of winter.
This eponymous film from 1993, has helped to spread this parochial tradition farther afield. Phil, the central character, is a cynical reporter who regards as asinine and a waste of time, this erstwhile tradition which year after year captivates Puxatawney residents, visitors and viewers of the TV station where he works. His sole motivation is to cover the story as quickly as possible so that he can get out of this backwater town with its deluded citizens before the predicted blizzard. The snow prevents this, and to make matters worse -through some cosmic quirk – he finds himself in a time warp where each day is Groundhog day, and is re-enacted in the same way.
At first it’s sheer hell as he tries to come to terms with this never-ending life sentence. He explores the dark side of his actions carrying no consequences beyond a 24 hour period after figuring out that all consequences will be erased by the following morning when he hits the alarm button at 6am. So he veers into criminal activity, overeating and womanizing. But he soon discovers that indulging in bad behaviour fails to yield the gratification he seeks, and therefore attempts to kill himself in a final act of desperation. But even this extreme act fails to break the spell.
Phil represents those of us who may feel overcome by boredom or caught up in a rat race from which there is no escape. His salvation comes not from the spell being broken but his inner transformation. the town and its residents, once the bane of his existence, becomes the place where he wishes to settle down and start a new life with his newfound love.
It’s only when he experiences a see-change in his attitude and starts to use his 24 hour units of time to do maximum good that his life begins to change for the better. It suddenly occurs to him that with all this time on his hands, he could best use it by bettering himself and serving the surrounding community. He begins to derive existential significance from helping others such as helping change a car tyre for elderly women, an saving the boy who falls out of a tree. So even though he is still stuck in a time warp, his quality of life improves and he, in turn, enhances the quality of life of those around him.
By transforming from a self-centred ingrate to a selfless local hero, he wins the heart of the lady colleague who has caught his fancy, a tv producer called Rita. One morning, as if by magic, the spell is broken and he is returned to real time.
According to Oxford Languages Dictionary, groundhog day may also be used in everyday parlance to refer to “a situation in which a series of unwelcome or tedious events seem to be recurring in the same way.” This film explores the tyranny of time. At first, Murray is frustrated with his sense of stagnation. You may feel that your life under lockdown is a ‘groundhog day’ of mind-numbing sameness. What the Covid-19 lockdowns have exposed, something we may have previously taken for granted, is that we need other people, and that a lack of community makes for a life which is decidedly lacking.
You may feel stuck in a rut because you are prevented from engaging in face to face social interaction. But there is still so much you can do to show others you care. It is still possible to perform acts of service such as the numerous volunteers at food banks, or those delivery goods to doorsteps of strangers with a smile.
To break the spell of personal stagnation and frustration, lies in realising that countless others are going through the same social isolation and feelings of angst. The lessons of this film may well be the right trigger for a paradigm shift to usher in a new way of living.
Update: The groundhog ‘Puxatawney Phil’ confirmed that there will be six more weeks of winter. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/groundhog-day-2021-punxsutawney-phil-predicts-6-more-weeks-of-winter/#:~:text=Pennsylvania’s%20most%20famous%20groundhog%20emerged,six%20more%20weeks%20of%20winter.