The long-running thread “How many Groundhog Days in the movie?” covers some of this ground. As I mention in that thread, I am quite fond of the theory that Ned Ryerson, the obnoxious insurance salesman, is also in a repeating time loop (the theory being based on incidents in the film, not just plucked out of thin air).
[edit: **Satchmo **beat me to it by a minute. Although, in my preferred version, they are in separate, non-intersecting time loops and have no reason to know that the other one is also in a loop.]
It’s all in his mind. Bill Murray’s character is having a nightmare where he is trying to change the horrible decision he made in that town. Try as he might to escape the horrible truth, he is unable to. Instead the dream switches course and is reconstructed in a way to give him the impression that the decision isn’t a mistake, but a conscious choice. Something he had to work hard for, and that paradoxically changes the horror in some absurd ways into something positive.
So when he wakes up, he might not feel so bad about sleeping with Andie MacDowell.
Me too! My mother and I make it a point to watch it several times a year. My father hates the movie, and thinks we’re loons to re-watch it. His opinion is that, having seen it once he’s already seen it several times, so why would he need to re-watch it. Obviously, mom and I think he’s the loon.
Exactly this
Nice!
Well, my personal theory doesn’t have anything to do with the whole “Magical Negro” trope, actually. It has to do with the smug/amused/knowing looks the bartender gives the entire affair. Phil ends up in the bar every time, and whenever they cut to the bartender, it just seems like he knows what’s going on. There’s no reason to cut to him the way they do, either, it just makes him seem significant.
My personal theory has always been that the bartender is a passing, mischievous Amberite who’s taking a break in this version of earth and having a little fun/doing a little experiment to see how long the average human jackass takes to redeem himself.
No, there’s absolutely no “canon” for this, it just amuses me to think so.
