Being There is a tough sell to a first time viewer, incredibly slow and surprisingly sad, it's a film that is thought of quite high yet very rarely mentioned. The story sees a simple minded gardener called Chance forced to go it alone in the big wide world after working and living at the same estate all his life, his employer has passed away, and all looks bleak until he is involved in a minor accident.In the car that hit his leg is the kindly Eve Rand, taking him home to the family estate for treatment, Eve and her ill husband, Ben, take him to their hearts, and pretty soon Chance's dry and simple speakings are being taken out of context and thought of as deeply profound political and world observations.
That's about all you need to know as regards the plot, it's a wonderfully scripted tale about the infinite wisdom of a simpleton who is, lets face it, oblivious to the world around him. The writing is excellent from Jerzy Kosinski (his novel as well) with the capable direction from Hal Ashby benefiting from sumptuous photography courtesy of Caleb Deschanel. But it's with the cast that Being There most triumphs, Peter Sellers had actively pursued the project for many years, and his wait was worth it for he turns in a performance unlike anything he had done before, definitely a career high as he holds all in the palm of his hand as the intriguingly sad protagonist, Chance. He unluckily lost out to Dustin Hoffman (Kramer Vs Kramer) for the best actor Oscar. Shirley MacLaine is marvellous as the sex starved Eve Rand, while Melvyn Douglas bagged the best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of the fading away Benjamin Rand.
So technically the film is spot on, and it's thematic heart is one to be involved with on a basic emotional level, yet you just get a sense of being bogged down entering the final quarter, the feeling that this should have been cut down to a 110 minute movie maximum. It's highly recommended cinema for those serious about the structure side of the craft, whilst those in need of a simpleton fable are certainly well catered for, and thankfully it's memorable for all the right reasons. 7/10
That's about all you need to know as regards the plot, it's a wonderfully scripted tale about the infinite wisdom of a simpleton who is, lets face it, oblivious to the world around him. The writing is excellent from Jerzy Kosinski (his novel as well) with the capable direction from Hal Ashby benefiting from sumptuous photography courtesy of Caleb Deschanel. But it's with the cast that Being There most triumphs, Peter Sellers had actively pursued the project for many years, and his wait was worth it for he turns in a performance unlike anything he had done before, definitely a career high as he holds all in the palm of his hand as the intriguingly sad protagonist, Chance. He unluckily lost out to Dustin Hoffman (Kramer Vs Kramer) for the best actor Oscar. Shirley MacLaine is marvellous as the sex starved Eve Rand, while Melvyn Douglas bagged the best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of the fading away Benjamin Rand.
So technically the film is spot on, and it's thematic heart is one to be involved with on a basic emotional level, yet you just get a sense of being bogged down entering the final quarter, the feeling that this should have been cut down to a 110 minute movie maximum. It's highly recommended cinema for those serious about the structure side of the craft, whilst those in need of a simpleton fable are certainly well catered for, and thankfully it's memorable for all the right reasons. 7/10