"Willard" (1971) - Director Daniel Mann and Actors Bruce Davison and Ernest Borgnine

[DonRocks]

Well, hey, I saw "Willard" when I was 10-years-old (this is the only flaw my dad had - taking us young kids to movies that we weren't old-enough for). 

I saw it again, after 47 years! And I thought it was very close in spirit to "Harold and Maude," and I mean that for real - this was in the Harold and Maude category of films, starring Bruce Davison as "Willard" in a very "Harold"-like role, making friends with rats, particularly one named Socrates, and specifically, another named "Ben." ("Ben"" is also the sequel in which you'll hear Michael Jackson sing the theme song).

Willard is a lot like Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate," and also a lot like "Harold" in "Harold and Maude" - this is a screwed-up cult film that is very disturbing if you choose to take it literally. 

And yet, it's the precursor to "Ben," in which Michael Jackson seems the eponymous theme song.

Damn, there are two scenes in this film that are difficult to watch, regardless of how hard you've become.