Groundhog Day

"I'm predicting March 21st."

"Yes, I believe that is the first day of Spring."

Only one of many great exchanges in the movie Groundhog Day, one of my all-time favorites. It is a powerful movie about change. I can't count the number of times that my sanity has been questioned because of my love for this movie. One of the most consistent statements is that this movie "drives people crazy." That's because it doesn't take shortcuts.

Early in the movie Phil Connors, the weather man, takes a date to the movie theater. He tells her, while standing in line, that the feature film is "one of my favorites, I've seen it over a hundred times." The movie is Heidi 2. How bored would Phil have to be to see that movie "over a hundred times." My guess would be very,

Phil goes on later in the movie to survive a bout with depression that causes him to make several successful suicide attempts. He was saved by the fact that he was in a repetitive day. So he wakes each time to the local radio station, "I've Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher and a cheerful radio personality saying, "Good morning woodchuck chuckers, it's cold out there."

Oh, and during the course of the movie Phil learns to play the piano, becomes a very accomplished ice sculptor, reads and quotes from classic literary works, makes friends with everyone in town and puts the moves on co-star Andie McDowell.

I'm not sure how many years that Phil relived one Groundhog Day, but it had to be a long, long time. But that is the nature of change. It happens slowly, if at all. Genuine change is anything but quick and easy. Lasting change takes time and serious work. I think that is a difficult concept for most of us to get. Deep down it makes sense, but we live in an I want it now world with little patience for delayed gratification. Why do you think credit card companies are so successful?............
6:28:09 PM    comment []