the groundhog day project

It might not seem like the obvious link to connect Groundhog Day to those teen movies from the 1980s (or any decade) that I watched over the past month (or ever). But, there's a reason I refer to Phil's "adolescent" period when talking (or blogging) about this movie. First of all, that's how Harold Ramis refers to it on the commentary track, if I remember rightly. But, also, it just makes sense. Phil Connors, realizing the freedom inherent in the time loop, is like an adolescent sowing his wild oats. Pre-loop Phil is also like a teenager in that he thinks he knows everything, thinks he's better than everyone else and he is entirely self-centered and self ish . But, mostly, I don't want to talk explicitly about Groundhog Day tonight. I will note that the movie is going by unimaginably fast, like I'm so familiar with it, it almost isn't registering. I'd be tempted to stop typing and just focus on the movie, but who's got the time for that?...

Let us begin with an update. Long-time readers, you should know, the piece by Michael Schulman, the reporter I met a year ago— Day 184 - it’s so beautiful —in Woodstock, has been published over at The Believer . I’m in there a bit alongside Danny Rubin. And, it’s quite good. For those of you finding this blog anew because of a) Schulman’s piece—called “That Accidental Swami” by the way—or b) it being Groundhog Day today, first of all, welcome. Second of all, the basics you should know: (Long-time readers, skip down past the image.) Yes, I watched Groundhog Day every day for a year and wrote blog entries related to and/or inspired by the film each of those days. Yes, I even went so far as to go on a pilgrimage to Woodstock, Illinois, where they filmed Groundhog Day last Groundhog Day. And, it all started because I had little going on in the summer before grad school got underway. Schulman quotes me—which is weird, quoting myself by way of an interviewer, but hey, it’s not the weird...