3. What Does It All Mean?
Unlike most comedies of the time, Groundhog Day is a profound experience. Aside from featuring a groundhog driving a car - which was profound in itself - it explores some pretty dark recesses of humanity, and opens up some seriously murky possibilities, mostly in the shape of the unexpressable questions that us curious folk inevitable explore. In light of the fact that he was so willing to rob a security truck, and he used his "powers" to dupe at least Nancy, and probably Rita at some point into bed, what other crimes did he commit when he suspected he'd never escape his living Hell? The mind boggles, but as one commenter on my Groundhog Day calculation article so aptly put it, there was probably wasn't "a single item in Punxsutawney that he hasnt had sex with by the end. Animal, mineral, vegetable." And it is these darker elements that remind us that Groundhog Day has a lot more meaning than a selfish man having to work out how to be selfless. So what exact is the meaning beneath the surface of Bill Murray's best comedy?
The Answer Well it could all just be an extended metaphor concerning self-growth and realising the value of altruism, but it could just as easily be a thinly-veiled religious allegory, exploring the abusive relationship between a Christian diety and His followers. Personally, I go for the idea that Phil is in fact dead, doomed to relive his final day for eternity until he is forced to become his own idea of Hell, a selfless people person who is less concerned with sex with a beautiful woman, and more concerned with getting a young couple a pair of WWF tickets. Come to think of it...