Over time, I wrote two movie reviews on the hilarious film “Groundhog Day,” part of my over 10,000 reviews on books, movies, and music. The first is humorous. It led some people to call me the wisest, non-controversial, only correct weather forecaster. For the second review, I assumed my roles as a philosopher, rabbi, biblical critic, lawyer, and psychologist, and some people called me a good teacher. I like both titles. I have repeatedly stressed that the Bible purposely tells us things obscurely to make us think. I have shown that, unfortunately, people do not recognize the obscurities and fail to see the ideas the Bible wants us to see. These are ideas that can better us. This inability to see obscurities and learn from them also exists in situations that are not obscure. We see what is obvious but not what lies beneath the obvious. This movie is an example.

 

This is a very clever, funny movie. It prompts me to think, what is Groundhog Day? The tradition began in Germany many years ago. In our time, on February 2, the groundhog is said to leave its hibernation. As it stands outside, if it sees its shadow, it flees back to bed for six weeks. It waits for a cloudy day when it cannot see its shadow because a cloudy day, as every groundhog knows, indicates an early spring, good weather for groundhogs. Groundhog predictions are correct 39 percent of the time. This is almost exactly the percentage that scientific weather forecasters are correct. Thus, if you want to predict the weather correctly, listen to the weather forecaster and say the opposite. You will be right 61 percent. Far better than the “expert.” All science is based on statistics. This is a statistic.

 

The movie “Groundhog Day is undoubtedly funny, as over 18,000 reviewers wrote on Amazon. I want to suggest two ideas. First, we can watch the film and enjoy it for its acting, plot, and humor. Second, we can do that but also learn from the story, seeing it as a parable teaching us a lesson. The show tells us about a man in a town he dislikes, among people he mocks, in an impossible situation. Every day he awakes to the same events. It is February 2 each day. He meets the same people each day. He can remember the prior February 2 days he experienced, but other people do not. After a while, he decides to take advantage of the unusual situation. He uses it to hurt people he dislikes, to seduce women, and to steal. As time passes, he realizes he is dissatisfied with what he has been doing. He begins using his time to help other people. He saves lives. He helps people in need of help. He makes life better for people. He discovers that he enjoys life better.

 

We do not experience his impossible situation. However, like him, we can use our time to further our interests for good or bad.