'Being There' In The Spirit & The Flesh

Being There was an excellent film for one main reason -- its main character was guileless and caring. It didn't matter that people read much more into him than actually existed. They loved him because his kind and quiet manner allowed them to reflect their better selves.

The Oscar ceremony this year, combined with ideas from a sermon the same day, made me think of the film. Being There won two Oscars for Best Actor (Peter Sellers) and Best Supporting Actor (Melvyn Douglas) back in 1980. Ironically, both Benjamin Button and Jamal of Slumdog Millionaire were characters who had childlike qualities that made them appealing as well.

It may have been that connection that made me think of the films when the first lesson on Sunday had to do Elisha (the prophet) and his son Elijah, when the day came that Elisha knew he was to be taken to heaven. (Names that are almost as much fun as the Oprah-Uma contrast David Letterman delighted in.) Anyway, Elijah kept asking his father what he could do for him that day, and Elisha kept telling his son just to accompany him and to do nothing. So Elijah followed him around all day until the chariot of fire and horses came and took Elisha in a whirlwind into heaven, leaving Elijah as a witness.

Similarly, in the Holy Gospel reading, Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up a high mountain to witness his transfiguration and the appearance of Moses and Elijah beside him. The three Apostles were terrified by the sight of a glowing Jesus and the supernatural prophets. Peter, trying to figure out something to do, blurted out that he and the other disciples could build houses for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. A voice came from a cloud and commanded, "This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!" That shut Peter up.

In both cases, the idea was to listen and learn and understand. To be there at an important time and be supportive. Then to share what was seen. As the minister, who tends to grieving families on a regular basis put it, sometimes being there is the best thing you can do.

It may be stretching the metaphor a bit, but Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire and Benjamin Button were characters who had wisdom at a young age, and who, like Jesus, knew that sharing love and being there for those you love, is the key to life.

On another note, here is a tribute to the 499 other people who participated in the "Beat the Oscars" game that I played online for the second year in a row. I actually did worse this year than last, probably because I saw fewer films. The following email arrived today. (My nom de plume is Audrey Hepburn.) I invite any and all reading this to play with me next year.

Dear Audrey Hepburn,

Now that results have been certified by our offshore accounting firm, it's time to say thank you and goodnight to the smartest crowd in the five-year history of 'Can You Beat the Crowd?' How cool is it that 500 movie fans can pool their opinions online and correctly predict 18 out of 24 awards? Puts many a professional pundit to shame, shame, shame. James Surowiecki, author of 'Wisdom of Crowds,' the book that inspired this event, should be proud. (And maybe he'll finally join us next year.) How did we get so smart? I'd like to think it's because we all get better with practice. Or was this just an easier year to predict, thanks to the Slumdog Express? I want salute the three best of the astounding *79* players who Beat The Crowd this year (the rest of you, please make your acceptance speeches to the mirror). There's MikeyFilmmaker from Los Angeles, pursuing his dream to work in the film industry and running his own Oscar blog, Spaghetti Sauce and Sweet Peas, at mikeyfilmmaker.blogspot.com. There's Priestybear, self-described Renaissance man who thanks his wife for sleeping soundly while he watches DVDs in bed. And there's chiti95, a Peruvian student working at a Colorado ski resort. He didn't see any of the Best Picture nominees, but formed his winning opinions while following the Oscar race on the web. These three shall have their prizes for a job well done. And we hope they'll return next year so we can try to beat them! The full text of their stirring acceptance speeches appears below. The final results, including statistics about The Crowd itself, will remain posted for a year at www.srmedia.com/BeatTheCrowd/crowdRank.html. My thanks to all of you for playing, especially my friends who make this an annual ritual and a great pleasure. Thanks also to the clever souls who hide behind nicknames like Girlybird, spartanmuscle, and letsgoonacruise, and those who lit up the message boards with their Oscar energy. I appreciate suggestions for how to make 'Can You Beat the Crowd?' more enjoyable, so please send me your comments at beatthecrowd@srmedia.com. Go now, find some more redeeming way to fill idle hours, and we'll see you next year when Oscar fever begins to boil again. Your Crowdmaster, --stu rohrer