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Dad as "Chauncey" (Jeanne)

This was a story I (Jeanne) heard only recently!

My newest daughter-in-law has seven aunts and two uncles on her mother's side. I knew that her aunt Anna Mae Vagle was a worship leader at St. Joan of Arc Church (I remember her from the 1970s when I attended SJA with my parents), but I did not realize that Aunt Mary also went there.

I saw Mary at a bridal shower for Mari and she told me about how she always called our dad "Chauncey" when she saw him at St. Joan of Arc Church. It was because of the movie Being There (blurb below from Hennepin County Library website) and the main character.

"Chance is a secluded gardener who has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television. After a run-in with a limousine, he ends up a guest of Eve and her husband Ben. Ben is an influential, but sickly businessman. Now called Chauncey Gardner, Chance becomes friend and confidante to Ben, as well as an unlikely political insider."


Since my dad loved to garden, Mary thought of this movie and called him "Chauncey" which he loved and responded to. My dad loved *any* attention from younger women, so this doesn't surprise me. I've not seen the movie yet, but have requested it from the library. I may need to watch it with my siblings. Fun!



Hmmm. Just watched the movie alone (it's due back at the library) and I'm a bit puzzled. Set in the 1970s (the book was written in 1970; the movie came out in 1979), the role of Chance is played by Peter Sellers. He's a quirky character and definitely NOT all there. I loved the maid Louise's perceptions of him . . . too bad that wasn't brought up at the end of the movie.

His channel flipping was irritating, as was his fascination with television and his illiteracy in general. How could people not see that he was an imbecile?! (Other than Louise, of course.) I had to laugh when "Basketball Jones" came on - I haven't heard that song in decades! I didn't remember that it was a Cheech and Chong song!

Shirley MacLaine was stunningly gorgeous in this movie!

This movie was just over two hours and it got painful to watch . . . definitely not my kind of movie. It got so ridiculous! The TV interview, the party with the Russian guy, etc. The stories of his accomplishments and abilities just kept growing. Ugh!

How could Eve Rand not realize that something was wrong with him? Especially when she was coming on to him . . . Ben Rand was probably my favorite character.

The end of the movie when he is walking on water . . . really?! Ugh. I don't think I'll share the movie with my siblings. I just don't think they'd enjoy it. Besides, I need to get it back to the library.

What about my dad made Aunt Mary think of him as "Chauncey"? I hope it isn't the illiteracy and lack of mental acuity! May it just be about the gardening focus . . . 
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