![]() Phil says, “I am really close on this one,” but we know from the beginning of the film that he is egocentric and embittered, essentially the opposite of what Rita desires. Here Rita describes her vision of the “perfect guy”: When Phil tries to live up to the standards of perfection held by his love interest Rita, played by Andie MacDowell, he falls endlessly short. In this respect, Groundhog Day serves as a good analogy for how sanctification works (or any kind of real personal growth for that matter), that it is not necessarily something we can achieve by our own will and strength. This, of course, flies in the face of prevailing notions that Christians are/should be inherently nicer and holier people. ![]() Those of us influenced by the Protestant Reformers are often said to be “weak on sanctification.” We regard Christians as being not terribly different from non-Christians, that our flawed human nature persists, despite our religious faith and baptism. Each time I watch Groundhog Day I discover new things, and this year, while keeping an eye on what it might say about human nature, the theme of sanctification (that is, the process of becoming holy) also reared its head. ![]() ![]() Repeated viewings are also a fitting homage, given the movie’s plot, which has weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) reliving Groundhog Day over and over and over again for what seems like eternity. Which is convenient, since television stations tend to play the film this time of year. It’s Groundhog Day! I have a tradition of watching Groundhog Day every year around February 2. This article originally appears on Mbird in February of 2012:
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