Was this never explored as a possible "out" for Phil to escape the loop? I guess it would ruin the logic of the movie's predicament but it's not an insane idea, and if Phil indeed spent over 10K days reliving February 2nd I can't see how he didn't consider this tactic before deciding on suicide
shareI always assumed he tried that already because he tells Rita she's not going to disappear until 6 when she thought something was going to happen at midnight. Plus he is still awake after she falls asleep well past midnight.
I assume that would be one of the first things he did, he would not kill himself before he tried staying up until the time change.
It is weird that he does make it past Groundhog Day every night, in the final scene it is not the first time he has made it to Feb 3rd.
He explained it to Rita. It doesn't happen until 6:00 am. So technically he does make it to February 3rd almost everyday, but once that clock flips to six, then he wakes up in his bed alone listening to "I Got You Babe."
shareSo basically we assume that by 6am, no matter where he is, the day and time will jump back with him back in bed? Okay.
shareIt didn't occur to me til the last time I watched this a few days ago that towards the beginning when he is talking on the phone to the operator about when the long distance lines would be repaired, it's 4am.
share
Look at it this way, Phil could be having sex with Nancy at 5:59 AM at her place, and right at the stroke of 6AM, he'd be back in his bed asleep being awaken by the clock radio.
Nothing he could do would change this. He crushed his body in a leap from the tower and awoke fully intact. He was in the police lockup overnight, and still woke up at 6AM in bed.