Being There: The Roger Ebert Cut:

[MCP]

I believe that it is much harder to do a fanfix for a good movie than it is to do one for a bad movie. The reason is obvious. With a bad movie, it's easy to justify why the film needs to be fixed. But with a good movie like this one, the easy thing to do is raise an eyebrow or two and ask why (Especially because of how much of a passion project this was for the late Peter Sellers). Fortunately, this edit of the 1979 classic is very good, all things considered. To quote Chance himself, as long as the roots aren't severed, all is well. I love the original 130-minute version just fine (Although I do agree the outtake reel during the end credits was a grave mistake. Something I'm glad this edit fixed, by the way). I have read Ebert's review on the film, and while I disagree that the sexual subplots were unnecessary (In fact, I think the scene with Eve getting naughty over Chance while he remains blissfully unaware gives us a major clue about the infamous final scene, if you're asking me), I can see how someone might consider this an improvement over the original. It works for what it is, and if you want an abridged version of Being There, this is a pretty strong alternative. It's not my favorite edit ever, but I can imagine someone liking this version. Definitely check this one out if you're a fan of the film.

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