# IYHO did the homeless old man in Groundhog Day survive?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iyho-did-the-homeless-old-man-in-groundhog-day-survive/680472>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 4, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iyho-did-the-homeless-old-man-in-groundhog-day-survive/680472 "2014-02-04T01:47:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iyho-did-the-homeless-old-man-in-groundhog-day-survive/680472/21 "2014-02-04T18:22:54Z")

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> [@Staggerlee](#):
>
> Jailed or not, I imagine Phil might have something of a crisis as he starts aging again, after all that time spent as an immortal. And while Andy MacDowell must have seemed like the best a small town could offer

Rita came with him and Larry from Pittsburgh, remember. And he had (apparently) years to learn all her shortcomings before February 3rd, so he knew what he was getting into. Part of his progression is that he was forced to get to know her as a person, rather than become a sex partner.

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**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iyho-did-the-homeless-old-man-in-groundhog-day-survive/680472/22 "2014-02-04T18:53:55Z")

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“He was an old man. Sometimes people just die.”

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**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iyho-did-the-homeless-old-man-in-groundhog-day-survive/680472/23 "2014-02-04T20:06:51Z")

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In my mind what he ends up doing is finding him early in the day, getting him a good meal, and then checking him into the hospital and telling them to charge him for all his medical expenses. He knows he won’t be able to save him, but this way he can give him a peaceful, warm last day.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iyho-did-the-homeless-old-man-in-groundhog-day-survive/680472/24 "2014-02-05T03:37:27Z")

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Could be.

But I agree he has to die in order for Phil, nearly-omniscient and borderline-omnipotent as he’s become within the city limits, to recognize and accept that there will always be some things beyond his control.

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