A Therapists’ Reflections on The Rich Significance of The Film ‘Groundhog Day’
Today, February 2, 2021, is Groundhog Day!
Did you know that some therapists prescribe watching the film, Groundhog Day, to their patients? I feel that it’s one of the most perfect movies and definitely in my personal top 10 (fun fact: I went to college with Bill Murray’s son/have met Mr. Murray, and he is as awesome IRL as he is on screen.)
Therapists love the movie Groundhog Day because the supernatural time loop serves as a perfect metaphor for how many patients experience and describe their real lives: trapped in routines of jobs and relationships that don’t satisfy, passing the time perfunctorily but profoundly unhappily.
In the film, Phil alternatively resorts to hedonism, gluttony, sloth, criminality, drunkenness, depressive episodes, and even suicide to cope with the redundancy of the inane boredom of his existential meaninglessness.
Gradually, Phil begins to take an interest in others. He develops an appreciation for art and beauty through classical music, ice sculpting, and acts of service. Initially even his good deeds are motivated by selfish motives (impressing Rita, who he’s fallen in love with in the time loop,) but along the way the exercise of free will transforms him into a genuinely good person. Then, one morning, Phil wakes up, and his world has finally changed. He's crossed over. One could even say he has awakened, or achieved enlightenment. The meaning of life has become apparent to him, and so his days become colorful and vibrant. He has found purpose in (accidentally) discovering that the degree to which life is worth living is in direct proportion to the amount we create value in our own soul’s maturation, and the extent to which we touch souls around us.
Therapists love this analogy because prior to their self actualization, our patients often describe life (particularly in a pandemic!) as a repetitious treadmill. And, it can be, when living at surface level. Yet frequently after working with a therapist, exploring deeper facets of the psyche, and uncovering your unique purpose, every seemingly mundane day can feel like a creative adventure, an opportunity to make a difference, impact a life, and generate good karma.
My favorite takeaway from Phil’s evolution is that he is time and again presented with the exact same day, and the very first time he's presented with it, it's the worst day of his life, yet by the end of the movie, we see that (while it's the exact same day,) somehow it is the best day of his life.
This secular message is timeless: every day is a gift. How you view it, how you use it, is what shapes and determines your destiny. Every day, no matter what monotonous tasks it contains, can be the best day of your life. One day at a time, in dedicating your life to a purpose greater than yourself, you can and will create a beautiful life worth living.
We hope you can revisit and reflect on the rich meaning of this great film with some popcorn and cocoa on this snowy winter evening!
Happy Groundhog Day!
