Unexpected Depth
It is an odd and rare pleasure indeed to find depth and even perhaps profundity in unexpected places. About halfway through the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" (yes, you read that correctly) on cable recently I was stuck with the realization that this movie may actually be a profound allegory on how to achieve hapiness in life. Even more surprising is the apparent source of the recipie. Curious? Read on...
The movie begins with Bill Murray as Phil Conors, a TV weatherman who is thoroughly disillusioned with life and who wears his cynicism hillariously on his sleeve. Phil finds himself stuck reliving the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over, apparently forever, until he gets it right.
What follows is a thoroughly entertaining and light-hearted comedy with Bill Murray at his wise-cracking best. But underneath the hilarity can be seen a deeper message.
When Phil first realizes what has happened to him, he is terrified, and sets about trying to find a way out. First physically, by leaving town, and then mentally by consulting friends, a doctor, and even a psychologist. Phil's first transformation comes when he realizes that no matter what he does, he's still going to wake up in the same bed at 6:00 am on Groundhog Day. In other words, there is no escape, there are no consequences, and so there is nothing to fear.
From there, Phill sets out to satisfy every desire: food, sex, money, love. He even devotes himself to trying to save a homeless man who maddeningly dies anyway. Finally, having run out of desires to satisfy and being consumed with a sense of utter futility, Phil decides to kill himself.
His final transformation comes when even his most creative efforts at suicide fail and he realizes that the only thing left to do is to let go of himself altogether.
Finally, things start to go his way. No longer living for himself, Phil gives to everyone he meets just what they seem to need at that moment -- validation to the guy at the top of the stairs, appreciation to the hotel matron, a helping hand to a choking man in the restaraunt -- expecting nothing in return. And for his efforts, he becomes the hero of the town, gets the girl, and finally escapes Groundhog Day, a changed man, ready to live happily ever after.
Put another way, a self-absorbed man is finally released from his suffering and finds happiness by transcending fear, extinguishing desire, and ultimately letting go of himself entirely.
Bill Murray following the footsteps of the Buddha? One cannot help but wonder...
The movie begins with Bill Murray as Phil Conors, a TV weatherman who is thoroughly disillusioned with life and who wears his cynicism hillariously on his sleeve. Phil finds himself stuck reliving the same day (Groundhog Day) over and over, apparently forever, until he gets it right.
What follows is a thoroughly entertaining and light-hearted comedy with Bill Murray at his wise-cracking best. But underneath the hilarity can be seen a deeper message.
When Phil first realizes what has happened to him, he is terrified, and sets about trying to find a way out. First physically, by leaving town, and then mentally by consulting friends, a doctor, and even a psychologist. Phil's first transformation comes when he realizes that no matter what he does, he's still going to wake up in the same bed at 6:00 am on Groundhog Day. In other words, there is no escape, there are no consequences, and so there is nothing to fear.
From there, Phill sets out to satisfy every desire: food, sex, money, love. He even devotes himself to trying to save a homeless man who maddeningly dies anyway. Finally, having run out of desires to satisfy and being consumed with a sense of utter futility, Phil decides to kill himself.
His final transformation comes when even his most creative efforts at suicide fail and he realizes that the only thing left to do is to let go of himself altogether.
Finally, things start to go his way. No longer living for himself, Phil gives to everyone he meets just what they seem to need at that moment -- validation to the guy at the top of the stairs, appreciation to the hotel matron, a helping hand to a choking man in the restaraunt -- expecting nothing in return. And for his efforts, he becomes the hero of the town, gets the girl, and finally escapes Groundhog Day, a changed man, ready to live happily ever after.
Put another way, a self-absorbed man is finally released from his suffering and finds happiness by transcending fear, extinguishing desire, and ultimately letting go of himself entirely.
Bill Murray following the footsteps of the Buddha? One cannot help but wonder...
posted by Charles Ames at 10:10 PM
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