The Biggest Logical Leap in Groundhog Day (1993) Isn’t the Involuntary Time Travel

Happy Groundhog Day, reader! As you can imagine, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write about Groundhog Day since the titular holiday landed on a Friday this year. Even though that meant rewatching Groundhog Day in mid-January like a total weirdo.

You’ve probably seen this film. And you probably don’t need me to tell you it’s terrific. It’s both a perfectly constructed romantic comedy and a pretty much flawless sci-fi/fantasy concept all in one—in fact, it’s so good at the latter that there’s an entire lineage of films that can be described as “it’s Groundhog Day but [insert additional thing].”¹ That’s quite a legacy.

But on this viewing, there was one thing in particular that activated the insufferable part of my brain that asks “Why is this the way it is?” about utterly trivial things like a less problematic Tucker Carlson. However, this is, in my opinion, how many of Dust On The VCR’s finest installments come to be, so I’m indulging myself.

Because the most fantastical element of this film isn’t Phil Connors’ time loop. It isn’t anything to do with Bill Murray’s character at all. It’s Andie MacDowell’s character (Rita Hanson) and her unfathomable college degree.

If you recall, in the second act of the film, Phil has accepted his fate of repeating the same day over and over, so he’s committed all of his energy to accomplishing the most challenging task he can conceive: getting Rita, his reluctant coworker, to sleep with him. In an extended montage, we see Phil get closer and closer to achieving his goal, making mistakes and correcting them on the next try.

One of those mistakes is mocking Rita for her college studies. After pointing out that her current job at the TV station is “about a million miles from where [she] started out in college,” she opens up to Phil about her scholarly passion: “Believe it or not, I studied 19th century French poetry.” Phil can’t help but laugh, throwing in an insult for good measure.

Now, if you know me, you know I’m an English major.² I would never call Rita’s academic focus “a waste of time” as Phil does. But I might’ve laughed. Because I can understand why someone would study 19th century French poetry, but I need to know where one could even major in such a thing.

Let’s debunk one thing right away: It’s possible that Rita didn’t mean to imply that she majored in this very specific discipline. Maybe she chose a class at random—the most interesting-sounding class to try and impress Phil with her quirkiness—and extrapolated. But I don’t think she did. For one, there’s the manner in which Phil sets her up: “You weren’t in broadcasting and journalism?” Now there’s a common thing to major in. But it’s also in the way she answers him. She’s so matter-of-fact about it. She can’t be talking about just one class.

Also, it should go without saying, but just so we’re clear: She’s not lying either. Groundhog Day, great though it may be, comes from an era when female characters in romantic comedies…weren’t exactly complex people.³ And Rita is as pure and uncomplicated as they come. In fact, she seems a bit embarrassed by her choice of academic focus. The second time this moment happens, she can’t even look Phil in the eye until she’s finished her statement.⁴ It sounds like she’s making a confession.

No one should feel bad about studying a particular topic. That’s what college is for!⁵ But what sort of university would offer such a major? I don’t know that even French colleges would do that. And if she went to school in France, she would’ve said that, right?

I could’ve assumed that such a school doesn’t exist and continued living my life. But that insufferable part of my brain wouldn’t let me move on without doing the most unimpeachable form of research: Googling.

As expected, I didn’t find a full major track for 19th century French poetry, but there are several results for individual courses along these lines. But most of these courses aren’t even as specific as Rita’s entire major. You can study 19th century French literature in general at schools like the University of North Georgia or the University of Hawaii at Manoa. You can even study French poetry from multiple centuries at Providence College or right down the street from me at the University of Alabama.

But to study 19th century French poetry by itself—even for just a semester—you’d have to go somewhere like Indiana University. Or the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Turns out Rita didn’t even have to leave the Midwest. She might’ve needed a time loop to earn enough credits though.

Groundhog Day is now streaming on Amazon Prime, and it is available to rent elsewhere.

1. I think many of these films fall short because they make the mistake of explaining why the time loop is happening, and there’s never a satisfactory reason. Happy Death Day 2 U makes this mistake. Palm Springs does not. Thank you for your time.

2. Frankly, if you don’t know me, you could’ve guessed this pretty easily.

3. One could argue that this era…never really ended. But we’re doing better!

4. I stumbled upon a really great piece about the French poem that Phil recites during his second attempt at surviving this conversation. Turns out it’s not even French poetry—it’s Belgian lyrics.

5. If any high school student ever reads this: Your major doesn’t matter! Unless you want to be a doctor or something. A degree is simply proof that you completed a long-term project. Study what you want and get work experience in the fields you actually want to pursue. And if those two things overlap, that’s great.