“Forgotten Hollywood”- The Constant Gardener…

Posted on November 4, 2017 by raideoman1 | No Comments

Manny P… 

“`A simple-minded rube, who gleans what he knows of the world from television, becomes a lightening rod within political circles with access to the White House. NO, I am not referring to current administrations. I am writing about the next-to-last production made by Peter Sellers… Being There. This 1979 movie is worth a visit, because of a poignant relevance to today’s sovereign climate.

“`Directed by Hal Ashby, he displays similar acuity as in his previous work, Harold and Maude.  Being There is political satire; hilarious and subtle. The supporting cast is formidable, including Jack Warden, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, and Richard Dysart. This script is smart; based on the novel by Polish-born scribe, Jerzy Kosinski.

“`During filming, to remain in character, Sellers refused most interviews, and kept his distance from the other actors. His performance was universally lauded by critics, and it’s considered to be the crowning triumph of Sellers’s remarkable career.  Though, he lost an Academy Award to Dustin Hoffman, Peter did receive a New York Film Critics Circle AwardGolden Globe, and a BAFTA. Douglas earned a second Oscar in his distinguished career for his performance (the first was in 1963 for his role in HUD).

“`The premise of the production is on target:  A naive gardener unwittingly becomes a much sought-after political pundit; and a commentator on the vagaries of our modern free society. Television, as a medium that deals almost exclusively in image and surface, remains an easy avenue, through which, an individual could advance so meteorically to celebrity. An audience that embraces his fame actually believe this character can literally walk on water. Ultimately, his followers surmise the small screen has inaugurated artificial displays of divinity; a Gospel celebrating faux-patriotism. Additionally, Russians contribute to this whirlwind of government ascension.

“`Per chance… Does any of this sound familiar?

Until next time>                               “never forget”

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 4th, 2017 at 1:35 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.


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