# What the...? It's Groundhog Day again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [February 2, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350 "2010-02-02T06:37:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/301 "2018-02-06T09:50:55Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Plus at some point he’s just going to need to practice all day. He needs to learn the piece. Does “muscle memory” reside actually in the muscles, or is it just memory? Because every day he has the same spread in his fingers, the same muscles he had the day it started. Are his hands even capable of complex playing without “piano tone”? Yeah, this is one of the things that niggles at me. He could potentially learn the piece but he’s not going to have the finger strength and spread that comes from long practice. Still, there’s little worth in overanalysing a film whose basic premise involves magic. ---
**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 6, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/302 "2018-02-06T19:58:43Z")
What is ‘Lake Titicaca.’ ---
**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:** [May 24, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/303 "2018-05-24T20:04:58Z")
Bumped. Just learned of these three deleted scenes from _Groundhog Day_. All short, and probably just as well they’re not in the movie, but still interesting to see: > **[Groundhog Day deleted scene - Phil the Pool Hustler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkYDS-aKp5Uhttps:%2F%2F)** > > video cut for use at The Groundhog Day Project - http://groundhogdayproject.com/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/rXh_G4wjNDo?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDzkYDS-aKp5U https://www.youtube.com/embed/nP0GJ0HslNM?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDzkYDS-aKp5U ---
**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:** [January 28, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/304 "2019-01-28T03:04:56Z")
PBS will air _On Story_’s episode, “Deconstructing _Groundhog Day_,” on Feb. 3. Check local listings: [https://www.pbs.org/video/-story-groundhog-day-deconstructing-comedy-classic-promo/](https://www.pbs.org/video/-story-groundhog-day-deconstructing-comedy-classic-promo/) ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/305 "2019-01-28T12:04:17Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > PBS will air _On Story_’s episode, “Deconstructing _Groundhog Day_,” on Feb. 3. Thanks for the heads up, look forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/306 "2019-01-28T15:14:23Z")
I can’t remember if this has been brought up before… What if every day he repeats…continues. That every day is a branch into a new parallel universe, so to speak, that doesn’t end at midnight. So every time Phil kills himself, he stays dead forever in that universe, and every day he gets arrested, he stays arrested. And in jail he laments, “well, at least I got out.” But he doesn’t. He’s still trapped, endlessly (maybe forever! even after the movie ends) creating new universes. So he gets to repeat the same day, AND be sent to prison for all the failed armored car robberies where he got caught, AND be dead. And somewhere in the distance, [del]the devil[/del] Ned Ryerson cackles maniacally. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/307 "2019-01-28T21:27:06Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > PBS will air _On Story_’s episode, “Deconstructing _Groundhog Day_,” on Feb. 3. Check local listings: [On Story | Groundhog Day: Deconstructing the Comedy Classic Promo | Season 5 | Episode 8 | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/video/-story-groundhog-day-deconstructing-comedy-classic-promo/) By following through that link to my local PBS affiliate (GPB) I was able to watch the entire episode online right now. Thanks! Very enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/308 "2019-02-01T03:51:07Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I can’t remember if this has been brought up before… > > What if every day he repeats…continues. That every day is a branch into a new parallel universe, so to speak, that doesn’t end at midnight. So every time Phil kills himself, he stays dead forever in that universe, and every day he gets arrested, he stays arrested. > > And in jail he laments, “well, at least I got out.” But he doesn’t. He’s still trapped, endlessly (maybe forever! even after the movie ends) creating new universes. So he gets to repeat the same day, AND be sent to prison for all the failed armored car robberies where he got caught, AND be dead. > > And somewhere in the distance, [del]the devil[/del] Ned Ryerson cackles maniacally. I can’t remember if I’ve brought it up, but I have wondered about this very thing myself. Except for the Ned Ryerson part, but now I will that too. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/309 "2019-02-01T17:26:29Z")
What I want to know, is how many times did he have the “almost perfect day.” Like he did everything the same as that last day, but didn’t fix that flat tire. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/310 "2019-02-01T17:52:05Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > What I want to know, is how many times did he have the “almost perfect day.” Like he did everything the same as that last day, but didn’t fix that flat tire. It must be frustrating, being _so close_ to perfection, and then finding yourself repeating the day again the next day. And wondering if you’re going to remember everything this time. What if you say something different at a critical time? You’d think there might be hundreds of “perfect” days before the end. How many times would you try that before you moved on to attempting to, oh I dunno, start WWIII for kicks? I mean, if you have to suffer, why not make everyone suffer? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/311 "2019-02-02T19:07:29Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’m going to pat myself on the back and tell you that I wrote the definitive article on earlier Groundhog Day-like scenarios, if anyone is interested. > > [The First Groundhog Day Was Christmas](http://www.flyingcarsandfoodpills.com/the-first-groundhog-day-was-christm) traces the theme, with slight variations, all the way back to the 19th century. AFAIK, it’s the first time all the stories have been mentioned in one article. > > I didn’t know any of this stuff before started researching. (What I found will surprise you. Especially #4! Isn’t it always #4?) It’s a weird history, appropriately full of odd repetition and overlap. If not a movie, then a good hour-long tv documentary can be made from it. Today’s Groundhog Day so I’m bumping this to remind people of this article. ---
**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 2, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/312 "2019-02-02T19:26:08Z")
Told ya: Call me Bronco. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/313 "2019-02-02T19:54:14Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It must be frustrating, being _so close_ to perfection, and then finding yourself repeating the day again the next day. And wondering if you’re going to remember everything this time. What if you say something different at a critical time? I don’t think he looked at it that way. I think he came to appreciate each day for what it was, and I don’t think he expected the loop to end. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/314 "2019-02-02T19:59:12Z")
Don’t forget your booties because it’s cooooold outside ! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/315 "2019-02-02T20:18:04Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > PBS will air _On Story_’s episode, “Deconstructing _Groundhog Day_,” on Feb. 3. Check local listings: [On Story | Groundhog Day: Deconstructing the Comedy Classic Promo | Season 5 | Episode 8 | PBS](https://www.pbs.org/video/-story-groundhog-day-deconstructing-comedy-classic-promo/) > [@MacCat](#): > > Thanks for the heads up, look forward to it. I was too. Found out it aired 4 years ago. ☹ No plans to re-air. Can’t watch stuff with my crappy internet. ---
**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 2, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/316 "2019-02-02T20:55:37Z")
Did he just call himself “The Talent”? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/317 "2019-02-02T21:10:07Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It must be frustrating, being _so close_ to perfection, and then finding yourself repeating the day again the next day. And wondering if you’re going to remember everything this time. What if you say something different at a critical time? But what’s perfect? It’s not like he gets a report card every morning saying “you forgot to do the Heimlich” or “you still need to take the piano lesson so that lady feels good about herself even though she has nothing left to teach you” (ignoring the points about that sequence made above, because magic). ---
**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 2, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/318 "2019-02-02T21:32:09Z")
What is ‘Lake Titicaca.’ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/319 "2019-02-02T23:34:50Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > But what’s perfect? It’s not like he gets a report card every morning saying “you forgot to do the Heimlich” or “you still need to take the piano lesson so that lady feels good about herself even though she has nothing left to teach you” (ignoring the points about that sequence made above, because magic). “Perfect” being whatever he did that caused [del]Ned Ryerson[/del] the Groundhog Effect to let him go\*. Obviously he’s not just doing another random, fun day, he’s tweaked and polished this day so he gets to do everything. Playing piano, catching the falling kid, helping with the tire change etc etc. And the day ends with him together with Rita. I have assumed that this was the first cycle where they ended up together, meaning that is what cause the repetition to stop. Maybe he’s guessed that, maybe he doesn’t care and is just doing the same thing because it’s easy (or hurts less. Does he remember the pain of dying?), maybe he’s just decided to pursue Rita to the exclusion of all else, and in doing so, changed himself enough the the GHD Effect let him go. But he’s obviously decided to “perfect” this one day. \*I can’t remember if this has been brought up before… What if every day he repeats…continues. That every day is a branch into a new parallel universe, so to speak, that doesn’t end at midnight. So every time Phil kills himself, he stays dead forever in that universe, and every day he gets arrested, he stays arrested. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350/320 "2019-02-02T23:47:44Z")
Some threads just say it all. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-its-groundhog-day-again/527350.md?page=17)