You wake in the morning and it’s the same day it was yesterday, except yesterday was also the same day as the one before - you’re trapped in a time loop where you awake every morning and it’s the same day again. The only thing you can carry from one of your subjective days into the next is your memories, abilities, feelings, etc - so you can learn and develop as a person, but you can’t accumulate possessions or followers, because at the end of the day, everything gets reset and you wake up in bed this morning again.
Like Bil Murray I’d learn an instrument. Maybe more than one. I’d get the results of various afternoon horse races so that I could place a huge bet each morning. Then I’d have too much money for the evening and if I ever did get out of the loop I’d be better off than when I started.
That’s the key for me. Else you’re gonna regret throwing away such an opportunity.
I’d follow the same pattern as in the movie. First I’d get freaked out, then I’d do a bunch of crazy reckless stuff that I’d never thought to do before. I’d probably go through a phase where all I did was read, depending on how long the day stayed the same.
I really liked some of the first days of college. I would pick one of those. This was in New Orleans and the drinking age was still 18. The girls were hot yet scared to be away from home for the first time. My now wife was there too so I could hang out with her sometimes and just completely blow her off the next day to use some of my mad skillz elsewhere. Being on a college campus is cool especially if you don’t have to worry about administrative stuff or grades. The accomodations were a little piss poor for my tastes now but I guess I could do the gambling thing and rent a hotel suite whenever I wanted something nicer for the day.
I’d probably do the most inappropriate things that I would never do in normal day to day activities. Rob a bank, run through wal-mart naked, take a car salesman on the ride of their lives in a corvette, partake in a police chase, test the limits of airline safety - see what it would really take to get brought back to the terminal [un-terrorist related], jump the fence at the white house and see how far I got, spill the communion wine, raise an objection at a wedding, ride a rodeo bull. That’s about it.
I’d learn an instrument (or six) and to sing, read a lot and really get to work on memorizing some of the poetry I like, eat whatever and whenever I like, and sometimes just sleep in.
It probably wouldn’t be all that different from my life right now - usually it does feel like I’m doing the same day over and over again. I’d have some conversations with people that I’m afraid to have right now because it would ruin or totally change our relationship. Learn to draw. Learn to skateboard. Learn as many instruments as possible.
One of the problems that Phil Connors also was forced to deal with was being snowed in - he couldn’t leave the tiny township he was stuck in.
I’d do as much as I could, at every opportunity, and take the time to do something different each day. If it was the equivalent of years or even decades of time passing, then I’m sure I’d eventually turn out as well rounded a person as he did in the movie, which was, of course, the point.
I love this movie, I watch it at least once a year.
I never understood why, for a bit of variety early on when he was getting sick of the whole thing, he didn’t just hop a bus or hitch a ride out of town first thing before they closed the roads. Just for a bit of variety on that day.
But we, too, watch it at least once a year, usually on or near Groundhog Day.
Interesting question. Phil doesn’t know exactly what will get him out of his hellish situation. He wants to attract his producer, but he has no way of knowing if that will change anything. In the movie, it’s not clear what makes him change from selfishness to self-betterment. (OK, I guess it’s love.)
Anyway, I’d probably do the same: take advantage of the situation, and improve myself and get rich. But eventually, it’d drive me crazy and I’d try to find out how to make it stop.
Well, I have to be honest, I’d probably end up doing this too, eventually…but boy would I be embarassed if this happened to be on the last day before time started moving forwards again. (Just like I would if time became unstuck after I finally started hitting on co-workers, or blood relatives just a little too close for legal comfort.) :smack:
