Groundhog Day (Cynical Comedy/Romance/Time Loop; 1993, screenplay by Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin.)
The Logline: A contemptuous TV Weatherman reporting on Groundhog Day, relives the same depressing day over and over, but when he realizes he genuinely loves his producer, he must change his old routine to be worthy of her love.
Breaking down the elements: Context/Setting: Groundhog Day in a small town. Main Character: Resister/Change TV Weatherman Phil Conners. Opposition: Oppositional Force of Supernatural/Culture There’s a bit of magic in the time loop genre. His bitterness keeps him from connecting socially, culturally, and romantically. The Trigger: Since the triggering events loop, it is not instructive to use them in setting up the central conflict of the logline. Understanding that the climax and the inciting epiphany are linked, it helps to look at one to find the other. The climax is that he wakes up free of the time loop, with Rita sleeping next to him. Therefore, we can look back at his inciting epiphany, the moment when Phil realizes he has genuine feelings for her. External Achievable Goal: His immediate goal is to figure out how to get out of the time loop. This is not something he can do though. In a story sense, his goal is in relation to the inciting epiphany and climax. We identified the inciting epiphany, that he genuinely loves Rita. His goal is to be with Rita, in the time loop or not. Flaw/Description: contemptuous, bitter Stakes/Consequences: If he does not change, he will be stuck in his miserable existence, living the same day over and over. Tone & Style: Towards Informal/Humorous/Bright, with a style that highlights the romantic elements. Length: 38 words.
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