It took me years to realize I was (am) a romantic. Fascinated by math and science, my future in Geekdom seemed preordained (especially given strong environmental direction—eh, I mean encouragement). When I wasn’t reading chemistry books for fun (sad, right?) I craved a good mystery. I devoured Ellery Queen Magazine within minutes of the postal delivery and I’d search every library shelf for a John D. McDonald book—of any color.Assured love stories were not essential to being well read, I might have remained romance-destitute, but a librarian introduced me to Victoria Holt. And I was hooked. Confident no one knew what I read, I’d slip a Mary Stewart paperback inside my notebook. When I felt positive no one could see the racy cover, I’d escape into the steamy pages of a Kathleen Woodweiss historical.
Given my genre-confused past, perhaps it makes total sense that Ground Hog’s Day is my favorite romance movie. You say, “But GHD is a comedy.”
So true. And men love the movie (duh—Bill Murray) so the film will likely never attain chick flick status, but GHD has all the elements of a great romance. Not only does the unlikely hero (Murray) get the girl (Andie McDowell), he undergoes substantial personal growth. The conflict (Phil Connors wants to wake up on February third) and the romantic conflict (Andie’s character, Rita, hates him and his obnoxious self) is real and sustainable.
More important—we can all identify with the protagonist and his plight, or the hidden opportunity within the plight. I’d like to think I’d embrace the opportunity to relive a single day again and again. At least I would after I got over the initial “Oh, shi….sugar” reaction. Living in Ground Hog’s Day would be the ultimate fantasy. How absolutely wonderful to work at something until you master it: play the violin, cook like Bobby Flay, rework a scene until its perfect—without the passage of time.
I do puzzle over how I would complete a novel when every written word would be erased the next morning. What ideas do you have for having a finished novel on February 3rd in a Ground Hog’s Day scenario?
17 comments:
Robin, enjoyed reading about your genre-crossed past, but can't help you out on Ground Hog Day. Have only seen a small piece of the movie (my husband and I aren't Bill Murray fans). And somehow the idea of all the words I've written one day disappearing seems tragic, not comic. Oh, wait, that happens all the time. It's called editing.
Hi Linda--lol on the editing.
If you haven't seen GHD, it's worth a rental--even if you don't like Bill Murray (and maybe it's not a coincidence his initials are BM.
Robin, I also came late to romance. I read YA romances by Janet Parrish and Lenora Mattingly Weber in my early teens but didn't stop to think that they were romances. They werer just books to me. I also read a lot of science fiction and mystery. I discovered Sherlock Holmes and LOTR within a year if each other, thanks to a college friend.
But I also realized that I liked to have some romance in anything I read, its absence from Conan Doyle and Tolkien notwithstanding. I read mostly romance these days, leavened with SFF and thrillers.
No ideas on how to finish a movie on Feb. 2, though.
Wow, what a puzzle. I have no idea! But I'm sure you'll figure it out.
I am intrigued by the ephemeral nature of GHD. Like the spider’s web, a sand castle at the beach, or a pot thrown on the wheel and falling back into its original state of possibilities; the idea of creating and recreating is a fascinating approach to art itself. Loved your blog and the movie!
Talk about a difficult question! If you finished the novel and immediately self-pubbed, would it disappear from the etheric the next day?
Love GHD - one of my favorite movies and not only a romance - it holds vestiges of SF also - great blog!
Great question, Robin. I've seen GHD and enjoyed it. One of life's gifts and challenges is growing as a person (and as a writer). Back to your question...I've no idea how to finish a novel in one day - maybe a short story? or a Flash Fiction? It is daunting thinking of just getting 90 - 100K words typed in one day! It is an intriguing idea though...to live one day over and over until I master something. Right now I think my project would be making a life tree out of beads and wire. That seems doable.
I love a similar movie, 50 First Dates, in which the hero must get the heroine to fall in love with him again each day because when she goes to sleep, she forgets everything that has happened since her car accident.
I'd need a couple of Groundhog Years to finish a novel!
For some reason, one of my favorite parts of that film is when Andie McDowell's character says so bitterly, 'I ate FUDGE!' Classic awkward romance moment: Doing something you don't like for the other person, be it rock climbing or attending a three hour lecture on penguins.
Good post! I have no idea how you would write a novel in a day. Besides, wouldn't it disappear the next, if it is like GHD? I really liked "50 first dates" which is similar in the heroine forgets the hero everytime she goes to sleep. And it was very clever how the hero fixes that problem after he marries her and has a child with her, which she also forgets each time she goes to sleep!
Reliving the same day over and over? Depends on the day. I'd love to relive an ordinary day. I'd work hard on making it extraordinary.
Robin, we started out on the same romance novels. Then I converted to mystery (Dick Francis, Dorthy Gilman, Agatha Christie)and then back to romance and I've started sliding back to mysteries again.
I've only watched bits and pieces of GHD when the kids were growing up.
Great positive spin on what others would perceive as negative. But I wonder if I were stuck in a similar situation, could I snail-mail myself a copy of the written work and receive it?
Um, I think I'd go crazy (crazier?) reliving the same day over and over. It would be like housework--it never ends. LOL! Great post!
I loved that movie. A classic.
I am a romantic myself. Just signed with Yacht Dates hoping to find that special someone in the New Year!
Good post Robin! I've never considered myself a romantic but I guess I am. I've only been reading romance for the last few years and now if there isn't a hint of romance, it's hard for me to finish unless it's a really good mystery.
I never cared much for GHD, by now I'll have to watch it again!
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