Being There (1979)

Being There is a quiet, darkly comic drama about chance, image and the way people project meaning onto the simplest things. It follows Chance, a sheltered, mentally limited gardener who has lived his entire life inside the grounds of an old Washington brownstone, learning about the world only from watching television. When his employer dies and Chance is forced out into the wider world, a chance encounter with a wealthy couple propels him into high society and, eventually, the corridors of political power—where his plainspoken, TV-shaped observations are mistaken for profound wisdom. Seen from Chance’s perspective, the film moves slowly and deliberately, relying on deadpan humor, visual storytelling and situational irony rather than overt punchlines. As Chance drifts from one encounter to the next, other characters read into his simple metaphors and literal statements all the sophistication they want to see, revealing more about their own ambitions and fears than about him. The story is at once comic and unsettling: amusing because of the misunderstandings, but disquieting because it exposes how easily public opinion and authority can be manufactured. Watching Being There you’ll experience an elegant satire that blends whimsy with melancholy. The pacing asks for attention to small gestures and silences; the payoff is a thought-provoking look at media, identity and power that lingers long after the final scene.

Actors: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas

Director: Hal Ashby

Runtime: 130 min

Genres: Comedy, Drama

7.2 /10 83 /100 7.9 /10 7.8 /10