History Film / TheLifeAndDeathOfPeterSellers

* LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles: Geoffrey Rush plays Creator/PeterSellers, Sellers' characters, and in the movie's framework, other people in his life. Basically, he's apparently playing '''everybody'''.

* VillainProtagonist: Peter Sellers ends up coming off as this between the ByronicHero portrayal, the HistoricalVillainUpgrade exaggerating some of his worse tendencies, and the fact that the healthier relationships he had in his life (in particular with his fellow Goons) are neglected/downplayed. Arguably justified in that he ''was'' a domestic abuser among other things, so a portrayal that put more/equal emphasis on his positive aspects would have run the risk of downplaying the damage he did to himself and especially others, and as SocietyMarchesOn it is much less forgiving of such portrayals of real-life figures.

The film, adapted from a biography by Roger Lewis of the same title, chronicles Sellers' life and career from TheFifties and his breakout success on ''Radio/TheGoonShow'' up through the production and release of his pet project ''Film/BeingThere'' at the turn of TheEighties (his death came soon after that). However, it focuses mostly on TheSixties: He lets an obsession with Sophia Loren destroy his first marriage, finds international critical and commercial success with his collaborations with Stanley Kubrick and Creator/BlakeEdwards but not without on-set turmoil, experiences an octuple heart attack shortly after marrying starlet Creator/BrittEkland, and proceeds to let that marriage disintegrate as well.

This was the first produced screenplay for writers Christopher Markus and Stephen [=McFeely=], who have since co-written the ''Chronicles of Narnia'' film adaptations and several entries in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (the ''Captain America'' films and ''Thor: The Dark World'', to be specific).

* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Both Peter Sellers and his mother get this, hitting a low point with the latter by having her hide the fact that his father is dying from him so that he only gets to see him briefly before he expires. In real life, Sellers was quite aware of the illness and was not with him when he actually died -- he was at a Judy Garland concert, and regretted going when he found out what happened.
* JustHereForGodzilla: In-universe. At the premiere of ''The Pink Panther Strikes Again'', Peter claims to the crowd that people only go to see the ''Pink Panther'' films to watch him, as their director/producer/writer is a hack. (This incident is completely fictional.)

* PhonyPsychic: Stephen Fry shows up as one of these; the first thing he tells Peter Sellers is nobody should wear green because it's bad luck. Later we see him on the phone wearing the exact same green sweater he advised Peter Sellers not to wear.

* VillainProtagonist: Peter Sellers ends up coming off as this between the ByronicHero portrayal, the HistoricalVillainUpgrade exaggerating some of his worse tendencies, and the fact that the healthier relationships he had in his life (in particular with his fellow Goons) are neglected/downplayed. Arguably justified in that he ''was'' a domestic abuser among other things, so a portrayal that put more/equal emphasis on his positive aspects would have run the risk of downplaying the damage he did to himself and especially others, and as SocietyMarchesOn it is much less forgiving of such portrayals of real-life figures.

* DomesticAbuser: After Peg dies, Peter and Britt wind up in a physical fight that he starts. Even before that, he's tough on his first wife and children, i.e. smashing up his son Michael's toy cars after he accidentally ruins a new sports car with touch-up paint.

* VillainProtagonist: Peter Sellers ends up coming off as this between the ByronicHero portrayal, the HistoricalVillainUpgrade exaggerating some of his worse tendencies, and the fact that the healthier relationships he had in his life (in particular with his fellow Goons) are neglected/downplayed. Arguably justified in that he ''was'' a DomesticAbuser among other things, so a portrayal that put more/equal emphasis on his positive aspects would have run the risk of downplaying the damage he did to himself and especially others, and as SocietyMarchesOn it is much less forgiving of such portrayals of real-life figures.

* DownerEnding: Peter gets his dream project made and it is a huge success, but he's alienated so many people close to him that he's virtually alone in the world by then and dies less than a year after the film's release. The text epilogue notes that his children didn't get much in his will, and that the only thing found in his wallet when he died was a picture of his first wife.

* VillainProtagonist: Peter Sellers.

This was the first produced screenplay for writers Christopher Markus and Stephen [=McFeely=], who have since co-written the ''Chronicles of Narnia'' film adaptations and several entries in the Film/MarvelCinematicUniverse (the ''Captain America'' films and ''Thor: The Dark World'', to be specific).

* TheCameo: Heidi Klum as Ursula Andress in the ''[[Film/CasinoRoyale1967 Casino Royale]]'' sequence.

A 2004 {{Biopic}} of British comic actor Creator/PeterSellers co-produced by Creator/{{HBO}} and Creator/{{BBC}} Films, released theatrically in most of the world via Creator/WarnerBros but presented as a MadeForTVMovie in North America.

A 2004 {{Biopic}} of British comic actor Creator/PeterSellers co-produced by {{Creator/HBO}} and Creator/{{BBC}} Films, released theatrically in most of the world but presented as a MadeForTVMovie in North America.

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A 2004 {{Biopic}} of British comic actor Creator/PeterSellers co-produced by {{Creator/HBO}} and BBC Films, released theatrically in most of the world but presented as a MadeForTVMovie in North America.

A 2004 {{Biopic}} of British comic actor Creator/PeterSellers co-produced by {{HBO}} and BBC Films, released theatrically in most of the world but presented as a MadeForTVMovie in North America.