Directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, Groundhog Day follows a pessimistic and sardonic weatherman named Phil who goes with his cameraman and producer to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, for the Groundhog Festival for the fourth year in a row.  To his horror and surprise, Phil gets stuck on the same day: February 2nd/Groundhog Day. 

Over countless cycles of the same day, Phil goes through a period of human indulgence that comes with the complete lack of consequence. From breaking laws, to seducing women, to gorging on food, Phil allows his Id, his carnal and primal desires and urges, to break free. Rita, his producer, seems to represent a moral idealism to Phil, with her kindness and morality. At the start of his cycle, Phil tries to learn everything about her as an attempt to show how much common ground they have and make her fall in love with him and create the ‘perfect day,’ even though it would reset at 6 am the next morning. The change in one’s philosophy, whether conscious or unconscious, can profoundly impact behavior and morality. From a more nihilist perspective, that nothing he does in his life is meaningful or has intrinsic purpose to a more virtue ethics moral compass, his eventual change in attitude and behavior during the course of a single day, but far longer than 24 hours, demonstrates that someone can indeed change their lives for the better, even if it takes a longer time. 

Groundhog Day is a funny and romantic film, but also remarkably philosophical. If one were given an eternity, with no consequences, what would one do, and what is right to do? If you knew that no matter what you did or said, the next morning, you would wake up in a little inn and the events of the previous cycle of the day were completely forgotten by everyone except you, what would you do?   I think that Phil’s change in perspective and actions demonstrate Freud’s theory of the Id (primal urges), Ego (reality), and Superego (morality) phenomenally. From acting out and gorging himself on every urge that went through his head to being fed up with the continuous cycles of seemingly eternity and trying to kill himself in as many ways possible, to starting to better himself and learning new skills, to helping others during that day, Phil’s changed personality to a better man ultimately helps him with a goal he originally had: earning Rita’s love, rather than coercing it as he tries to do in the beginning, which was more possible since he was now a better human being. I highly recommend this film to become your new Groundhog Day tradition!