Groundhog Day usually deserves an annual viewing to correspond with the February 2nd holiday, but that's not the case with 2021 due to the seemingly never-ending COVID pandemic. The 1993 comedy, directed by Harold Ramis, stars Bill Murray as a cynical weatherman trapped in a time loop. Viewed as one of the best comedy films ever made, fans might have trouble finding an interest in the movie during this unprecedented time.
Based on the North American holiday, Groundhog Day follows Phil Connors (Murray), a Pittsburgh weatherman assigned to cover the events in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. After traveling to the town for the February 2nd festivities, Phil stays an extra night only to wake up and find that he's reliving Groundhog Day over and over again. Despite being accompanied by his producer, Rita (Andi MacDowell), and a cameraman, Larry (Chris Elliot), Phil is the only person seemingly stuck in the loop. Throughout the various iterations of the loop, Phil struggles, but he eventually takes the time for some much-needed self-actualization.
Since its '90s debut, Groundhog Day has become a beloved classic. The term "Groundhog Day" has even transformed into a term to describe a monotonous (and unpleasant) situation. Unfortunately, much of the population could use the term to define the current state of the world. Seeing as the pandemic ravished much of the globe since the spring of 2020, a large portion of the population is still in lockdown mode or following stay-at-home protocols. Essentially, an overwhelming amount of people have been stuck at home for nearly a year, encountering repetitive days that could make Phil's situation look like a piece of cake.
The World Is Trapped In A Groundhog Day-like Situation
Whereas last February featured a relatively normal life for most of the world, the early months of 2021 are still fully focused on slowing the pandemic. Since most movie fans enjoy watching titles that can serve as an escape from reality, watching a man stuck in a time loop isn't so appealing this year. Movies and TV shows centered on pandemics or contagious disease outbreaks aren't on the top of lists these days in terms of popularity. The same can be said for titles depicting characters in monotonous time loops, even if considered a comedy. Palm Springs, another time loop comedy, released in the early days of lockdown. It would have been interesting to see if it still gained immense popularity if it debuted while viewers were stuck in their own respective loops.
Like most time loop-centered titles, Phil ultimately finds a way out of his situation, but it's hard to find that kind of light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic. Thankfully, there will eventually be an end in sight with the advancements continuing to fight the pandemic's spread. By 2022, Groundhog Day will hopefully return as a must-watch to celebrate the February 2nd holiday.