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Movie Review
By Shirley Stevens
Have you ever imagined
what it would be like to live
secluded with television as
your major source of sensory
input? And then after 40
years to be forced out into
society? This is the premise of
"Being There," a new release
starring Peter Sellers, Shirley
Ma cLain e and Melvyn
Douglas.
If humans learn behavior
by watching other humans,
then it should come as no
surprise that Chauncey
Gardiner (Sellers) is a one-di
mensional character, who re
gards the activities of real
humans from a spectator's
point of view. His relation
ships with real people on the
outside are at first separated
by a symbolic screen that does
not transmit or receive emo
tion. Chauncey Gardiner's lit
eral interpretation of the
world around him is at once
regarded as eclat by the out
side world, which rushes in to
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Have You Been There?
impose meaning on it. His
discourse is always botanical
ly - oriente. His job during ,
seclusion was that of a gar
dener, and consequently, gar
dening is his only field of
expertise.
To prove his knowledge
and gain employment, he
never misses a chance to
bring gardening into the con
versation. But his discursive
attitude only predisposes
others to believe that his
ramblings are prophetic. The
growing season, as explained
by Chauncey Gardiner, is
even paraphrased metaphori
cally in the President's speech
to the nation to palliate dis
content over the worsening
economy.
As Chauncey Gardiner
makes an impact on the out
side world, so does the world
change Chauncey Gardiner's
life. The glazed spectacles
through which Chauncey
Gardiner views life's events
eventually come off. If fear is
first learned during the
Thursday, March 27, 1980
trauma of birth, the,C.G. has
learned fear through expul
sion from his lifelong home
and exposure to a harsh en
vironment. Yet he has also
found joy through human in
teraction. And finally, per
haps most humanizing of all,
he has learned pain through
loss of a friend. For the first
time there is some indication,
in his reaction to his friend's
death, that C.G. is just a plain
man, a gardener - not the
learned man, speaker of eight
languages and holder of de
grees in law and medicine that
the world thinks him to be.
Melvyn Douglas was su
perb as C.G.'s friend Ben
Rand. Perhaps because he is
old, his appearance lends
genuiness to the character- -
ization. Yet whether he's por
traying as ailing mind in a
healthy body (the dotard in
"Joe Tynan"), or a healthy
mind in an ailing body (Ben
Rand dying of bone cancer),
his performances are so natu
ral you're inclined to believe
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Hobbit Here
With Hutsah
J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy,
The Hobbit, will be presented
on April 10, 1980, at 7:00 p.m.
in the auditorium. The
Hutsah Puppet Theatre will
bring dwarfs, elves, and trolls
to life as part of the two-hour
prelude to Tolkien's trilogy,
The Lord of the Rings.
The six-member Hutsah
Puppet Theatre will manipu
late more than 30 almost-life
size puppets. Rusty Steiger,
an actor and musician, directs
the troupe. Steiger composed
the musical score and built
most of the puppets for the
show.
The troupe has also per
formed a series of television
he's portraying himself, which
is testimony to his ability as
an actor.
This movie can be catego
rized as entertainment or
"think" material. Apparently
some viewers even thought it
was a comedy. It is one of the
better movies, regardless.
Perhaps not so much while
you're sitting watching as lat
er, when you play it back - as
you inevitably will.
Have you ever had occa
sion to wonder, for example,
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commercials and "Singing
through the Trees," a child
ren's musical. The Hobbit,
however, was chosen because
of its popularity among col
lege students.
"I think its a shame that
fantasy is often set aside in
adolescence in the name of
growing up and being cool.
Why is it appropriate for a kid
to watch a puppet show or a
cartoon or play kick-the-can,
but, riot an adult?" says
Steiger.
All ages can enjoy ' The
Hobbit as performed by the
Hutsah Puppet Theatre. The
public is invited to attend.
Admission for the show is $l.
Gardiner's real name is Mr.
Chance) or your own strength
of will that determines your
fate? Or a combination of
both? Or neither? If your
placid nature bas enjoyed the
distinction of remaining free
of such vexing arguments un
til this late in life, then per
haps you don't want to see
this picture. If you want a
mild stimulus fqr an evening
of dialogue and elbow bend
ing, this film is a starting
point.
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