Movie Summary:
I watched Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, again today. It has become an annual event to remind me what Jesus taught about the narrow gate. The story is about a self-centered TV weatherman named Phil Conners who gets stuck reliving Groundhog Day over and over again.
The first day Phil is his normal egocentric self, treating everyone poorly. The next day he is in shock to learn he is reliving the same day, February 2. He tries to get help from his producer, Rita, a doctor and a psychiatrist, but to no avail since he wakes up to repeat the same day again.
Phil then realizes there are no consequences in his life, since no one but he remembers what happens during each repeated day, so he goes on a spree of gluttony, stealing, and seducing women. After all the “fun” is done, he sets his eyes on conquering Rita for himself. During several repeated days he learns all about her, but ends up being repeatedly slapped when he tries to seduce her.
Phil sinks into a deep depression when he realizes he cannot have Rita and he tries to commit suicide several ways but continues to reawaken to repeat the same day. He then tells Rita he is “a god” and proves it to her by describing what is going to happen before it happens and all her cherished memories he learned on previous days. She wonders and sticks with him for the rest of the day. Phil starts to show his feelings and realizes he is a jerk who does not deserve Rita since she is nice and kind to others.
Phil starts to do many random acts of kindness and begins learning new skills like playing piano and ice sculpting. Later, he takes an old homeless man to the hospital who dies to Phil’s dismay. In the next repeat day, Phil tries various ways to save the old man, but fails. He gives the eulogy on the next day.
Phil wakes up the following morning all chipper and ramps up his efforts of helping others. Everyone in town loves him and they put him up for the bachelor auction at the banquet that evening, where Rita wins him. Phil realizes he is happy no matter what happens tomorrow. Rita stays with Phil, they wake up together on February 3 breaking the cycle, and Phil asks if there is anything he can do for her.
My Thoughts:
Phil is given a chance to relive his life until he gets it right. It takes years (to him) but eventually he learns to be interested in others, to listen to their wants and dreams, to be kind, to not despair when things are not going as you would like, to love others, to be happy, to help others, to live for today and that you can do anything in life if you set your mind to it. Do not take years like Phil; make a vow to be happy today!
This movie reminds me of Jesus and the narrow gate passage because it shows someone headed down the wrong path in life and even when he gets a chance to correct it, he takes the easy way out by trying to live a life of no consequences. In the end, the movie shows the only way is through the narrow gate of hard work by being kind and helping and loving others.