Erikson's Stages In The Movie Groundhog Day

According to the one and only, Erik Erikson, there are 8 stages development throughout our life (Douglas P. Crowne, 2009). Although they are presented as stages, Erickson explains that they are not specifically timed. Someone can go through a stage poorly, have psychological trouble with themselves at the next stage and come back to work on what wasn’t worked on in the previous stage (Crowne, 2009). According the Erikson’s theory, successful completion of the stages leads to a happy, healthy, secure value in themselves and their life (Crowne, 2009). Phil Connors is quite the opposite of a successful completion of Erikson’s stages of development. The movie Groundhog Day is a good example of a man who has yet to successfully complete his stages of development. Groundhog Day is about a middle-aged weather newscaster named Phil Connors that is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cast the famous groundhog (Albert & Ramis, 1993). Phil demonstrates over and over again with his sarcastic, rude remarks that he is not thrilled to be there (Albert & Ramis, 1993). The morning of Groundhog Day Phil ends up waking up on the same day over and over again (Albert & Ramis, 1993). With no choice but to go through the same day again and again Phil struggles to cope with his

He pretty much interpreted his crisis with a “screw it” attitude and it causes him to believe that he could do whatever he wanted. Phil breaks the law that night, and acts impulsively the next morning by kissing Mrs. Lancaster and punching Ned in the face (Albert & Ramis, 1993). During lunch with Rita, she tells him that egocentricity is his main characteristic (Albert & Ramis, 1993). That sparked an identity crisis concern in Phil, causing him to try out different identities through out the next couple of days (Albert & Ramis, 1993). He tries to become a thief when he steals money and a seducer when he tries to seduce Rita and Nancy (Albert & Ramis,