Though it's nearing the end of November, I decided to take a trip to Punxsutawney, PA for Groundhog Day. To discuss Groundhog Day I should first discuss Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is an occasion for celebration, for humans to gather together and be merry over a common occurrence, even if it just so happens to be plucking a large rodent from a burrow and asking it whether it saw its shadow. The reason isn't especially compelling to most, but it is a true glimpse of the humanity that Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, lacks.
The beauty in Phil's voyage from bitter egoist to joyful humanist comes from his discovery of life's little details. One of the most powerful moments for me came from his "I'm a God" speech in the diner, when he reveals the back stories of all of the side characters filling the place. It made me realize that for every person in a crowd, there are stories, desires, and memories. Taking into account these details and taking the time to explore them suddenly makes the world all the richer.
On the topic of time, one of the perks to reliving the same day again and again is being able to take advantage of all the time lost to narrow-minded goals, in Phil's case, his career. When he suddenly finds himself with all the time in the world, he starts to learn the piano, ice sculpture, auto mechanics, and empathy. It made me pause to think of how much time there really is in life and how much could be gained from every initiative. The unlimited potential of any given day is not to be understated or ignored, for to do so would be a great loss.
Notwithstanding the humor, which was light-hearted but hardly laugh-out-loud, I really enjoyed Groundhog Day for the fact that it's inspired me to explore life more, take an interest in the details, and just be appreciative of each day. For this, I give it four stars.
The beauty in Phil's voyage from bitter egoist to joyful humanist comes from his discovery of life's little details. One of the most powerful moments for me came from his "I'm a God" speech in the diner, when he reveals the back stories of all of the side characters filling the place. It made me realize that for every person in a crowd, there are stories, desires, and memories. Taking into account these details and taking the time to explore them suddenly makes the world all the richer.
On the topic of time, one of the perks to reliving the same day again and again is being able to take advantage of all the time lost to narrow-minded goals, in Phil's case, his career. When he suddenly finds himself with all the time in the world, he starts to learn the piano, ice sculpture, auto mechanics, and empathy. It made me pause to think of how much time there really is in life and how much could be gained from every initiative. The unlimited potential of any given day is not to be understated or ignored, for to do so would be a great loss.
Notwithstanding the humor, which was light-hearted but hardly laugh-out-loud, I really enjoyed Groundhog Day for the fact that it's inspired me to explore life more, take an interest in the details, and just be appreciative of each day. For this, I give it four stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment