A Special Day for Mr. Ben Jabituya, with 13 days to go!

There are many layers of complexities within this character. On the surface he is a genius. The layer beneath the surface is laughter, and that is a place we all enjoy. We all love his improbable jokes, like the famous "I think she is a virgin. Or at least she used to be." Ha!! What a fine example of both his sense of humor and his intelligence.

For most of the film we believe that Mr. Jabituya is from India, or a neighboring country, based on his accent. It is only later revealed that he in fact grew up in Bakersfield and his parents are from Pittsburgh. This dramatic turn of events plays into the concept of perception, which I touched upon earlier. Of course we Americans would immediately assume this man is foreign, because of the way he speaks. But, these are things that aren't up to us and we must remember to never judge a book by its cover. This point is made even stronger upon learning that the actor Fisher Stevens, is in fact Jewish. Yet another way this brilliant work continues to teach us life's most important lessons.
And I leave you with a quote from the master:

"Let us punch the sack, tomorrow is the next day."

That is true wise Ben. Not only is it 'the next day', but it is also the day that brings us one day closer to the 25th anniversary of when we were first introduced to your beaming smile. Thanks Mr. Ben.