Groundhog Day
Bill Murray, trapped in an egotistical arrogant mindset,
eventually catches up to him when he travels to cover the Groundhog Day in
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. All of a
sudden, the next day after February 2 he wakes up and it is a complete repeat,
and it just repeats and repeats and repeats.
Bill is the only person who knows that the day is on constant repeat so
in a way he manipulates his ability and entices Rita completely because each
and everyday he memorizes what she loves and then tells it back to her the next
day, so then she just thinks he is the most perfect man for her. Which is the opposite of how Leaving Las
Vegas was, Sera knew from the start of their meeting that Benny was a complete
drunk. He did not have a redo and he did not show a fake façade. Bill Murray
basically changes himself for her.
In one part of the movie, around the 1 hour mark, it is
almost as if she slaps the arrogance out of him, and he falls in to his rock
bottom. He then tries to end his life but because he just is in a never-ending
loop of repeating days, he still wakes up in the same Bed and Breakfast at 6am the next morning.
Benny in Leaving Las Vegas always knew he was going to drink
himself to death; he never attempted at trying to stop his endless destructive
alcoholic fate. Sera understood that he
was ending his life. Bill’s relationship with Rita was almost the same. He knew
that everyday that he woke up he was going to have to start over again with her
completely, knowing exactly what she was going to be like and even say.; much
like Sera knowing that every moment of Ben’s life he was going to be
intoxicated and every morning when she woke up she knew that was what she was
going to deal with.
All in all, both films were off setting, in a way of the
choices humans make; how both men killed themselves or just Bill Murray trying
to. That there was never going to be an optimistic hope for a better life. When they hit rock bottom, suicide is the
answer to numb the pain and struggle.
Groundhog Day was the light at the end of the tunnel though, it showed
that at the end, he was able to escape the time trap and be with Rita. I wish
that Benny would have sought help, or just changed. It certainly worked in Bill and Rita’s favor!
I like the comparison that you do between Groundhog's Day and Leaving Las Vegas. Like you said, Billy Murry realizes he is waking up in the same place ever day and has a chance to make it right with Rita. There is a part thought that i feel like is a breaking point in the film. Once he wakes up enough times he realizes he can do anything so he tries to kill himself by suicide, stabbing, dropping a toaster in the tub, driving the ground hog off the cliff, and many more. After all these and he still lives he tries to change. Ultimately he knows everyone in the city and gains some amazing skills as well. This is one of those movies that shows what the power of decisions can have.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison of Leaving Las Vegas with Groundhog Day. It made me think of White Bear and Groundhog Day, while Bill Murry has control of what he does, the girl in White Bear does not. She must go through the same routine everyday and has no recollection of her previous days. Unlike Bill Murry, she has no choice, she has lost her free will to make a decision, since every one of her choices has already been predetermine.
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ReplyDeleteYour summary is concise and well done; I haven't seen the movie, but I feel like I understand it. I like the comparison also! One contradictory thought is that Bill's life was beginning each day and Benny's was slowing ticking away (we'll talk more about time next week). As much as we respected Benny's "hands off" train wreck free will, it would have been nice (and extremely Hollywood) for him to reroute.
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