A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television.
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Bienvenue Mister Chance, Bienvenido, Mister Chance, 妙人奇迹, Muito Além do Jardim, Bem-Vindo Mister Chance, Bem-Vindo Mr. Chance, Willkommen, Mr. Chance, Oltre il giardino, Bienvenue, Mister Chance, Bienvenido Mr. Chance, Isten hozta, Mister!, 富贵逼人来, Välkommen Mr Chance, Будучи там, Присъствие, Velkommen, Mr. Chance, להיות שם, 찬스, Коли я буду там, Bir Yerde, Wystarczy być, Byl jsem při tom, Find acolo, チャンス, Tervetuloa, Mr. Chance!, Να είσαι εκεί, κύριε Τσανς, 富貴逼人來, حضور, იქ ყოფნა
USAPG
UK12
FranceU
Ireland15
FinlandK-12
NetherlandsAL
Portugale 12
Brazile 12
NetherlandsAL
Russian Federation0+
Brazil
Finland
France
Ireland
Netherlands
Portugal
Russian Federation
UK
USA
So...
I watched this for the first time a month ago.
I had dinner with Michael Shannon and he called himself Chauncey Gardener, he said "I'm a fraud, I don't know what I'm doing and I've fooled everyone."
People on Letterboxd have told me to watch this film for years and I didn't, foolishly.
I watched the first 30 minutes after dinner and thought "this is not a good movie. People are wrong about this."
I then finished the film and realized it's brilliance and simplicity.
I watched it again the following night and cried as hard as I possibly could through the whole movie. I kept saying "This poor guy. He doesn't know any better!"
I don't think I've…
"It's for sure a white man's world in America. Look here: I raised that boy since he was the size of a piss-ant. And I'll say right now, he never learned to read and write. No, sir. Had no brains at all. Was stuffed with rice pudding between th' ears. Shortchanged by the Lord, and dumb as a jackass. Look at him now! Yes, sir, all you've gotta be is white in America, to get whatever you want."
As soon as I heard the jazz remix of 2001: A Space Odyssey's Also Sprach Zarathustra, I knew that I was in for something unique.
This could have easily won the Palme d'Or in 1980 if it weren't in competition with Bob…
Instead of its on-the-nose political allegory, I would prefer to see Being There, one of the most quirky yet transcendental comedies I've seen, as a witty take on "what if God was one of us", or the tragic ways innocence gets tarnished in this highly complicated, yet ultimately insincere world we live in.
In this modern fairy tale, Chance, a reticent shut-in whose only interests are watching TV and gardening, gets his big break by applying his philosophy regarding gardening into running a country. Despite being labelled as a comedy, Being There is rather stingy with its comedic moments, although every scarce punch it delivers lands perfectly well.
The standout of the star-studded cast was obviously the legendary Peter Sellers,…
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There's a simplicity and gentle nature to Being There that compliments the more extensive political focus of the narrative. Consistent laughs, with Peter Sellers' performance being a career highlight, but the sadness and melancholy is what stands out. Gorgeous final shot.
Being There should have been Peter Sellers last movie, instead, his final credit was the cringe worthy The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu. In retrospect, the same could be said of Director Hal Ashby. This was his last, and possibly, best out of a string of critical and commercial successes through the 70’s. What followed for him personally and professionally, as he sunk into a quagmire of drug fuelled erratic behavior that saw films taken away from him in mid-production, and some, like Tootsie, before production even started can only be described as deeply sad.
But here, the director and actor were at the top of their game. Sellers in particular showed a talent for rendering a subtle performance…
That guy really loved TV. And who can blame him! Lot of great stuff on there. Seinfeld, etc. Yes, TV has been bringing the heat for decades, and with today’s wide variety of streaming services, there is no shortage of wonderful programming for the modern viewer. And if you’ve never watched TV before? Check it out. I think you’ll like what you see
Sure when Peter Sellers dresses in a suit, acts catatonic, and wanders into a rich person's house, it's "a masterpiece" and "a brilliant satire," but when David Chen does the exact same thing it's "a felony" and "a bizarre crime"
Shirley MacLaine masturbates while Peter Sellers does a head-stand. Cinema sure was something else in the 1970s.
I sure as hell hope I don't come off like Chance when I try to talk about nuanced political films like this.
"I raised that boy since he was the size of a piss-ant. And I'll say right now, he never learned to read and write. No, sir. Had no brains at all."
(Quip of the review: So does Chance live there now or Richie Rich?)
Yet another movie that showcases how you can fake it until you make it. But ironically for Chance, he does not realize he is even faking it, since he just does what he sees on TV. Just when you think you have a movie figured out they throw in a closing scene like that to make you question everything you think you know ... just like American politics.
Thanks for reading.
Happy movie watching ... Skål! 🍻
Life is a state of mind.
how we choose television over our own realities, disconnecting ourselves from what the world is truly offering, what horrors are really happening, we just cover that up with the guise of entertainment and media - although they’re practically one and the same at this stage - creating ourselves a facade to hide behind.
but this separation from reality allows for a solipsistic view to form within us. while this may not necessarily be a terrible thing, it can separate us from even the smallest of acts, it can take us apart from them and make us have a sense of superiority over them, for nothing else truly matters, nothing else truly exists apart from…
