I am an unabashed supporter of Groundhog Day. I’m a Punxsutawney truther; I would follow that furry little hog to hell and back if his shadow told me to. So as a lover of all things Groundhog Day, it’s no surprise that I would take some time to wax poetic with you, dear reader, about 1993 classic film Groundhog Day, as well as the recent reimagining of the classic infinite time loop situation, Palm Springs.
For the uninitiated, Groundhog Day follows a TV weatherman, played by Bill Murray, who is stuck reliving the same day – Groundhog Day (like the movie title! I know!) – over and over. Once stuck, Murray lives through a loose approximation of the five stages of grief: denial, binge drinking, repeated suicide attempts, coworker seduction, then, finally, self-actualization.
While entertaining, Murray’s gradual evolution from a “too-cool-for-school” weatherman to a fulfilled, well rounded person has some bumps. His ham-fisted attempts to seduce his producer, played by Andie MacDowell, can be a bit cringey at times. And the scene where he tries to save the life of an old homeless man could use some fleshing out; it is this scene, after all, that really drives his transformation from a horny time-pirate to an immortal do-gooder.
In the end, though, the message of the film (I’m pretentious, deal with it), is one worth cherishing. It’s only in the act of letting go of his past self – a sneering, sarcastic, self-interested, conceited asshat – that Murray finally breaks the cycle. Instead of pursuing money, sex, or cheap thrills, Murray takes the time to become a better person, engaging with the town and the people he had written off. Self-actualization and compassion win the day.
Oh and he’s nice to Ned! Ryerson! Needlenose Ned, Ned the head! One of the all-time worst names (shoutout Steven Glansberg).
Palm Springs is another take on the basic “stuck in today” premise used in Groundhog Day. Palm Springs follows Andy Samberg as he relives a day at a wedding in Palm Springs (like the movie title! I know!). The movie starts in media res (I’m pretentious, deal with it), with Samberg deep into his loop. Wildly detached from his surroundings, Samberg slurps beers all day, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts – the peak of male comfort – as he slips his way through another identical day.
But alas! Long story short, Samberg unintentionally gets the bride’s older sister, played by Christin Milioti, stuck in the loop. The storytelling allows the audience to gain an understanding of the world through Milioti’s eyes, contextualizing Samberg’s seemingly earlier erratic behavior. Along with Samberg, Milioti makes her way through her own loose interpretation of the five stages of grief: denial, binge drinking, violent crime, drugs, and then finally, deep study of string theory. Hilarity ensures.
And while this movie is immensely entertaining, it does end up hitting a different note than Groundhog Day. While Murray, although slowly, undertakes his journey for self-fulfillment because of his sheer loneliness, Samberg experiences growth only through his connection with Milioti. Throughout the movie, he’s pretty staunchly stuck in the middle of the path that Murray took – notably binge drinking and trying to seduce other party-goers. Hell, that’s how this whole thing begins; he’s trying to seduce Milioti (again). It’s only through him exploring and accepting his feelings for Milioti that Samberg is ready to really take the plunge – leaving the eternal adolescence of his time loop for the real world.
Through both of these movies, we get different perspectives on a coming-of-age story, where the leading man must re-evaluate his childish, selfish, one-dimensional self to push into a fuller, richer humanity.
Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we are living through a plague. And let me tell you, I think I now have a pretty good idea of what it’s like to live the same day over and over again in seeming perpetuity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating. At time of writing, over 450,000 Americans have died. Those responsible for our country’s horrendous mismanagement deserve to be tried for crimes against humanity.
And while things are falling apart all around me, like many white collar workers, I’ve kept my job through the pandemic. I haven’t lost anyone to the disease. Comparatively, things are going about as well as they could for me, all things considered.
But I am now for all intents and purposes stuck in my apartment all day every day. I wake up every morning, walk five feet to the computer, sit and stare for 8 hours, then move to the couch to look at the smaller screen until it’s time for bed. And then I wake up and do it again. And again. I watched Groundhog Day and Palm Springs on the 322nd and 324th days of quarantine, respectively.
This pandemic has robbed us of so much – even our future. It’s hard to plan for a future that doesn’t seem certain in the slightest. I don’t have a lot to look forward to. Every day just blends together. I think a lot of people came into this whole pandemic thing with a glass half full attitude. Just a few weeks inside, how bad will it be? I’ll learn to play guitar. I’ll make a sourdough starter, isn’t that fun! I’ll finally shut that Duolingo owl up and take a lesson.
But the longer I’m stuck in here, the less I think that this will end in some sort of Murrayian triumph. There’s not gonna be a big party. I’m not gonna rock it on an electric piano. I’ll never meet Brian Doyle-Murray.
And if that won’t happen, what are we left with? It looks like Samberg may have had it right the whole time. We’re stuck here, so may as well make it as painless as possible. Cheap beer and Hawaiian shirts. You know, things could be worse. I could be stuck in Punxsutawney.
For The Love 