Life lessons from Palm Springs – the movie

Sunday, December 6, 2020 Permalink

I watched Palm Springs (the movie) a couple of days ago. I like Andy Samberg in his role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine but actually had little idea what the movie was about. I figured it to be some sort of rom-com. And it is… kinda. Except with a groundhog day theme activated by some weird phenomenon in a desert cave.

But if you ignore the mystical element (required if you’re a logic-lover like me who needs to understand how and why) it’s a really enjoyable movie.

I found however that I was struck by something more profound than I expected from a light romp.

As the movie opens Nyles (Samberg) is already stuck in the time vortex where he’s attending a wedding with his girlfriend and has been through the loop countless times, when Sarah (Cristin Milioti) accidentally follows him in. Both of them are now stuck in the day that repeats over and over. After Sarah’s initial attempts to get herself out, Nyles and Sarah bond (yes, it IS a romance) and they start having fun with it.

palm springs the movie

They don’t need to worry about repercussions which gives them an amazing sense of freedom. Of course they could use that for evil, but don’t. Instead they live in the now. I’m not sure they are ‘fully present’ (which the gurus would tell you one should be when living in the present) but they certainly aren’t bogged down by past regrets or future worries.

Better still, they make the best of what they have. Obviously having a playmate helps Nyles get through the experience but after realising there’s nothing they can do, they start to enjoy themselves. There’s a montage of the pair going out and doing crazy things and waking each day excited about what lies ahead. It’s a stark contrast to earlier scenes in which each woke exhausted by the idea of the day repeating itself.

For me it was a reminder that we’re here no matter what. We may be unemployed, overweight, not necessarily contented but the old adage that we CAN control our reactions hits home. We can wallow, which I’ve done my fair of lately – unhappy with life, others and myself – or we can accept what we’re given (though knowing it might change and perhaps still pursuing something else) – and make the most of it. Cos, the time will pass anyway.*

Here’s the trailer for those interested.

Are you good at ‘making the most of it’?
I must confess I also pondered what I’d do if I knew I could get away with it and it’d be erased by the day repeating itself! Your thoughts? 

* Quote by Earl Nightingale: Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

PS. It’s been a while since one of my lessons from TV/movie posts. I had initially planned to combine them into an ebook or similar but am far too lazy.

21 Comments
  • Al Packer
    December 6, 2020

    It’s never too late to find your dream.

    All that’s changed is the time you’ve got to achieve it.

    • Debbish
      December 6, 2020

      My paternal grandmother died of a heart attack at 52 and when I developed heart problems it felt kind-of inevitable that history was repeating itself. Karma or something. (And I pretty much felt I deserved it anyway.) But as I get closer to my 53rd birthday I get more positive about outliving her! #phew

  • Katherine
    December 7, 2020

    I watched Palm Springs as a bit of escapism on a Sunday afternoon earlier in the pandemic. It was great for that, and I didn’t think too deeply about it, to be honest. But reading your view of it, I had that same realisation about controlling our reactions to the situations that we find ourselves in. And it was a bit of a facepalm that I didn’t connect that with the movie before.

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      I think it was the montage type scene that did it for me Katherine. Nyles had been stuck there for a while so was pretty bitter but after Sarah’s initial shock they both started to make the most of it and that really connected with me… that they tried to enjoy what they had / make the best of it.

  • Lydia C. Lee
    December 7, 2020

    I have this thing where I persist in watching Rom Coms and I usually really hate them. So why do I watch them? No idea. My fav rom coms are movies like Red, which are actually action with a romance. However, I thought this would be terrible, and I really loved it. There was so much more to it. That minute when he says something that he’d previously denied, I felt a pang of pain/horror. I thought it was clever. And that other thing I can’t give away really took me by surprise. I thought it was actually a really good movie – it is what it is, but a really enjoyable comedy!!! (And yes, I’m VERY good at making the most of it!!)

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      I was the same Lydia and was surprised by how much I got from this (hence the post I guess). And yes, his admission was interesting and – as for the other surprise you mention – I almost put an asterisk in there on the topic of (not worrying about) past actions and regrets but decided it was too much of a spoiler.

      And I think it’s true – from reading your posts and seeing your adventures – you are certainly good at making the post of life and the opportunities you’re given!

  • Laurie
    December 7, 2020

    I need to watch this movie! Thanks for the recommendation. I think we may allow ourselves a certain amount of wallowing time. Then we need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and go on. You will know when you are ready. Maybe your reaction to this movie is a signal that you are ready now.

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      I’d seen the movie around for a while before diving on in and weirdly I’d not watched any of the trailers or read anything so had no idea about the ‘groundhog day’ scenario, so that was a bit weird until I settled into it.

      I was certainly confronted by the extent to which they started enjoying themselves when they accepted the inevitable, so maybe I’m getting there.

  • Jo
    December 7, 2020

    I need to watch this…I reckon you’re ready… just saying…

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      Yes to both hopefully. But definitely watch it. It’s fun and both characters are likeable.

  • Natalie
    December 7, 2020

    Thanks for your movie review and the trailer. I’ll see if I can borrow it from my library. I think I’m good at “making the most of it” e.g. the current lockdown where I live. #lifethisweek

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      I think it’s on Hulu overseas but Amazon Prime here in Australia. And yes, looking at your outings on your posts you’re certainly still making the most of it!

  • leannelc
    December 7, 2020

    Now I want to watch the movie – why isn’t it on Netflix??? Anyhooo I think your takeaway from it is quite profound and true – life happens regardless, how we respond is what makes the difference. Suck it up, or count your blessings – it’s really up to us isn’t it? And I’m all about finding profound insights in things that weren’t intended to be all that deep!

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      I’ve done several posts from stuff I’ve gleaned from TV and movies over the years. I guess it’s a combo of loving television AND being an overthinker!

  • Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid
    December 7, 2020

    Oh this looks so great! I love your take aways from the movie and think you’re so right, we can’t change what happens to us in life, but we can control how we respond to it. If you compiled all the lessons into a book, I for one would definitely want to read it!

    • Debbish
      December 7, 2020

      I had this idea of putting a blurb about the movie / TV series at the start of each chapter as some aren’t still on TV and then having a different theme or lesson for each. I wondered if it’d date too much though as already a lot of things I’d written about are no longer on.

  • Debbie
    December 8, 2020

    I enjoyed your take on the movie Deb and will now add it to my watch list as a result. It’s funny how some of these shows can actually be more than we were expecting, in a good way. A bit like life really! #lifethisweek

    • Debbish
      December 10, 2020

      Yes, this was certainly different to what I was expecting, though I was probably thinking it was some light festive movie… that time of year and all.

  • Denyse Whelan Blogs
    December 9, 2020

    I can feel you are digging yourself out of that hole of wallow quite a bit..not really, because “dirt”…I know! I love it when something I read or hear makes me stop and think “YES!” of course…and then I try to apply it to my life now. The bit about your grandmother and age of death would have been scary and to a certain extent is. I was a bit that way when my aunt died in her early 60s and I too had some of her risk factor – overweight being the one. You are you. Hate to give you that bit of news…and I for one, like who and what I see!

    Thank you for linking up for Life This Week. Next week is the last Share Your Snaps for 2020 and then only one week to go after that before a short break with Life This Week returning on Mon 4 January 2021. Hope to see you next week too. Denyse.

    • Debbish
      December 10, 2020

      Thanks for your lovely comments Denyse. I often think the last decade has been a huge state of flux for me but then I think about the one before that and realise a lot happened then as well. I am sure my over-analysing hasn’t changed in that time. I wonder if my ability to adapt has diminished?

      • Denyse Whelan Blogs
        December 10, 2020

        Hard to say but you will get a sense that you are, over time, I reckon seeing the world slightly differently. Change is tough of course but it can be barely felt until you realise ‘ah ha’. x

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