Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion About . . . Groundhog Day

Annie Dillard opens her book, Holy the Firm “Every day is a god, each day is a god, and holiness holds forth in time.”

It may be hard to connect Bill Murray with the phrase, “holiness holds forth in time,” but Harold Ramis’ 1993 instant-classic Groundhog Day is sublime, and for those with ears to hear, the God of eternity is speaking through this comedic gem.

Bill Murray plays Phil Connor, a narcissistic weatherman who dreams of moving up to the big-time of national network weathermen, and accordingly despises the assignment of driving from home-base Pittsburgh to Punxsutawney, PA, where each February 2nd “the world holds it’s breath for the spectacle of a small rodent predicting the weather.”

When an unpredicted blizzard prevents Phil from returning to Pittsburgh that night he goes to sleep in a bed’n’breakfast only to wake up--again--on the morning of February 2nd, where yesterday’s events march in lock-step repetition. Only Phil seems aware that they are living the day over again. It becomes clear that only Phil is, in fact, living the day over, and he is destined to live the same day again and again--perhaps 10,000 times or more until . . . what? The curse of a life with no destination takes its toll on Phil until he at last learns the lessons hidden in a single day.

The scenes in a bowling alley and a diner are deep theology hidden in comedy like jelly inside a doughnut, and for those with ears to hear, the Holy Spirit is speaking, again and again. That’s why in my opinion you should watch the film and listen to the voice of God.