Groundhog Day (1993)
Groundhog Day is about a man placed in his own Möbius purgatory for reasons he cannot divine. Managing to never be repetitive despite its concept, the film always has something interesting to do with the day. Even when we repeat a scene from the day before, Bill Murray's expressive delivery assures us we are moving right along with him through this purgatory.
Phil first feels cursed and distressed by his situation, but moves on to taking advantage of it as a means of enabling bad behaviour. The low moral character is consistent with Phil’s other negative traits: he is arrogant, rude, abrasive, and above all he is selfish.
Andie McDowell's character confounds him for this reason: he feels an attraction to her despite the fact they are total opposites. She is kind, considerate, gentle-spoken and good-natured. She eventually becomes one of Phil's fixations, as he tries over and over to win her physical affection.
Having moved through the stages of seeing his situation as a curse or a blessing, Phil's perspective shifts disturbingly. Seeing himself in a state of damnation, Phil repeatedly attempts suicide, to no avail. One of these attempts involves an action sequence with significant pyrotechnics. From a genre standpoint this is unusual. But it is ultimately effective, both as spectacle and as further insight into Phil's deteriorating mental state.
Salvation comes to Phil when he is least looking for it. After seeing someone die, something Phil had felt insulated from, he finds he is unable to save them in the subsequent repetitions of the day. This is the final piece that causes him to reconsider his conduct and some of his values.
Stuck living the same day over and over, he determines his job is to improve that day in every way he can. Kid falling from a tree? Flat tire? Someone choking? Phil's there; it's just a part of his schedule now. He even sets to bettering himself in other ways, learning to play the piano.
And it is only then that Phil is released from his purgatory. The realization is clear that his situation hadn't been a blessing, a curse, or damnation: he had been put in timeout.
Performances are excellent in our main duo. Bill Murray embodies a bad man undergoing great pressure to become a better one. Andie McDowell is lovably innocent and creates the perfect foil to Bill Murray’s Phil. Together, they beautifully illustrate Phil being taught the difference between wanting someone and wanting to be with someone.
Sound plays an important role at the end of the film as Phil's fingers dance over the piano much to Rita's astonishment. Additionally, the musical choices for the intro and outro respectively perfectly match the appropriate high moods.
Groundhog Day stands as an extremely entertaining watch and a good reminder of a question we should ask our loved ones: "Is there anything I can do for you today?"