Being there / Lorimar presents ; a Northstar International picture ; an Andrew Braunsberg production ; screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski ; produced by Andrew Braunsberg ; directed by Hal Ashby.
"In one of his most finely tuned performances, Peter Sellers plays the pure-hearted, childlike Chance, a gardener who is forced into the wilds of Washington, D.C., when his wealthy guardian dies. Shocked to discover that the real world doesn't respond to the click of a remote, Chance stumbles into c...
| Uniform Title: | Criterion collection ;
864. |
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| Corporate Authors: | |
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| Language: | English |
| Language and/or Writing System: |
In English with optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. |
| Published: |
[New York, New York] :
The Criterion Collection,
[2017]
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| Edition: | Two-DVD special edition. |
| Series: | Criterion collection ;
864. |
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| Physical Description: | 2 videodiscs (130 min.) : DVD video, sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 folded-out leaflet. |
| Format: | Video DVD |
| Summary: |
"In one of his most finely tuned performances, Peter Sellers plays the pure-hearted, childlike Chance, a gardener who is forced into the wilds of Washington, D.C., when his wealthy guardian dies. Shocked to discover that the real world doesn't respond to the click of a remote, Chance stumbles into celebrity after being taken under the wing of a tycoon (Melvyn Douglas, in an Oscar-winning performance), who mistakes his protégé's horticultural mumblings for sagacious pronouncements on life and politics, and whose wife (Shirley MacLaine) targets Chance as the object of her desire. Adapted from a novel by Jerzy Kosinski, this satire, both deeply melancholy and hilarious, is the culmination of Hal Ashy's remarkable string of films in the 1970s and a carefully modulated examination of the ideals, anxieties and media-fueled delusions that shaped American culture during that decade"--Container. |
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| Note: | Based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski. Title from title frame. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1979. Accompanied by a fold-out leaflet featuring an essay, "American cipher", by critic Mark Harris. Special features: New documentary on the making of the film, featuring interviews with members of the production team; Excerpts from a 1980 American Film Institute seminar with director Hal Ashby; Author Jerzy Kosinksi in a 1979 appearance on the Dick Cavett Show; Appearances from 1980 by actor Peter Sellers on NBC's Today Show and The Don Lane Show; Promo reel featuring Sellers and Ashby; Trailer and TV spots; Deleted scenes, outtakes, and an alternate ending. Restored 4K digital transfer. |
| Call Number: | PS3561.O8 B4 2017 VideoDVD |
| Audience: |
MPAA rating: PG. |
| ISBN: | 9781681432823 168143282X |
| Credits: | Production designer, Michael Haller ; costumes designed by May Routh ; music, Johnny Mandel ; editor, Don Zimmerman ; director of photography, Caleb Deschanel. |
| System Details: | DVD; region 1, NTSC; widescreen (1.85:1 aspect ratio); Dolby Digital monaural. |
| Cast: |
Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart, Richard Basehart. |