Being There

By far one of the most misunderstood films in the history of cinema and if you look you can find reams and reams of written material on the subject. That Peter Sellers lost out to Dustin Hoffman in KRAMER VS. KRAMER is an absolute shame especially when you think Sellers was dead just a little over half a year later. Director Hal Ashby, who nailed the brilliant HAROLD AND MAUDE would also be dead a few years later and writer Jerzy Kozinksi surprisingly lasted a dozen years more before offing himself. I find that an odd twist of fate. Melvin Douglas, who took an Oscar for his work here....dead two years later. Jack Warden, Richard Basehart, Ruth Attaway, they too are dead! Happy to say Shirley MacLaine, who has a "self serving" scene here which can easily rival that of Meg Ryan in "WHEN HARRY MET SALLY" is still very much alive and still doing great work as is Emmy winner Richard Dysart though not so much so of late. Like so, so, soooooooo many of the films I blurb here I will leave the disovering of the story to you but I will leave you with this, if you've not seen it you must...it is required viewing on many levels and SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS if you honestly don't get the ending then you need to go back to the drawing board. To toss the character of Chance Gardner into the lot of mere simpleton is to absolutely miss the point of the film. I'll leave you with that...and one more thing.....it is the absolute best of Peter Sellers work and that my dear friends is nothing to shake a stick at!