The Subtle Brilliance of ‘Groundhog Day’

“Rachmaninoff takes what was dark, brooding, and melancholy, and transforms it into something beautiful and transcendent, simply by reversing the initial condition, by seeing things from another point of view. This is exactly what Bill Murray’s character does in Groundhog Day. To undo the curse, to achieve nirvana/grace/freedom, Phil must learn to make the best of his situation, to turn sour grapes into wine, the worst day of his life into one he (and we) will never forget.”