Groundhog Day (4 Stars)

The only thing that you can rely on me for is to be inconsistent. Yesterday evening I said I wouldn't be watching any films this week. I can't even keep a promise for 24 hours. I have an excuse, though. I always do. My son went out by himself for a few hours, so I thought I'd watch a film while he's gone.

The last time I watched this film, seven years ago, I said that I had an opinion about what the film means, but I wouldn't write it down. I should have written it, because I have absolutely no idea how I interpreted the film seven years ago. After watching the film today I sat puzzling over it for a while, and I've come to an opinion, but I doubt it's what I thought in the past.

The question isn't so much why the day repeats, but why it stops repeating. How many repeats are there? We see some of them in the film – I didn't count how many – but many, many more are implied. When the film was first made, the director suggested the loops last 10 years, i.e. there are 3650 repeats of the day. Fifteen years later the director changed his mind and said it must have been at least 30 years, based on the time needed to learn skills like playing a piano and ice sculpting. But then the repeats suddenly stop. Why?

We get a clue in Phil's attitude. First he tries to escape the day. Then he tries to use the day to get whatever pleasures he can for himself, without fear of consequences. Then he tries to be a better person and help others get through the day. He loves his colleague Rita, and he starts off by tricking her into liking him. He finds out what she likes, and the next day he pretends to like exactly the same things. In short, he's lying about himself. This got him a long way, but not all the way into bed with her, which is what he wanted. His love was based on lust.

As Phil continued to live through the days, he became steadily more selfless. In the end, this is what won Rita's heart. She saw that he was a good person, and that's what attracted her. When she fell in love with him, the day stopped repeating. Love was strong enough to break the cycle. Or was the non-existent love between the two the whole reason for the repetition in the first place? That's a theory I have after watching the film today. The two people, Phil and Rita, were soulmates, destined to be together, but a relationship was blocked by Phil being a selfish person. The universe stepped in and blocked their further lives until Phil changed enough to win Rita's love.

So what do you think? It's a possible interpretation. I've read enough about the film to know there are other interpretations. Tell me what you think. Don't just quote an explanation you've read somewhere, tell me what you think yourself after watching the film.

Success Rate:  + 2.9

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