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Being There is a 1979 American political satire comedy-drama film starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, and Melvyn Douglas. Directed by Hal Ashby, it is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosiński, and adapted for the screen by Kosiński and the uncredited Robert C. Jones.
Feb 8, 1980 · With Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden. After the death of his employer forces him out of the only home he's ever known, a simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful tycoon and an insider in Washington politics.
- (78K)
- Comedy, Drama
- Hal Ashby
- 1980-02-08
A man who has lived in a garden his whole life becomes a powerful advisor by accident, using simple phrases that are mistaken for wisdom. Peter Sellers stars in this subtle and ingenious comedy that challenges the superficiality of public speech and social status.
Simple-minded Chance (Peter Sellers), a gardener who has resided in the Washington, D.C., townhouse of his wealthy employer for his entire life and been educated only by television, is forced to ...
- (62)
- Hal Ashby
- PG
- Peter Sellers
Chance (Peter Sellers) is a middle-aged gardener who lives in the townhouse of a wealthy man in Washington D.C. Chance seems very simple-minded and has lived in the house his entire life, tending the garden, with virtually no contact with the outside world.
Being There is a wonderful and highly original comedy. It moves at a deliberate pace, depends on careful nuances of writing and performance, and pays off with big laughs in the oddest places. It's the crowning achievement of star Peter Sellers, who excels in a role he'd wanted to play for years.
Peter Sellers plays a mentally retarded gardener who becomes a social and political influencer by accident. Roger Ebert praises the film's audacity, tone and metaphor in this classic review.
