Peter Sellers has long been a favorite actor of mine. From his performances in “Dr. Strangelove” to “The Pink Panther”, and “The Magic Christian”, his comic genius and brilliant acting have always kept me in stitches. So, as a matter of course, I have been trying to see the various films in which he has appeared that I had not previously seen. I went through them one by one, and finally made it to his last film, “Being There”. The title didn’t sound altogether like the kind of movie he would be in, but I rented it over the weekend and gave it a shot. Wow! I was pleasantly surprised! Move over “Forrest Gump”, because “Being There” did it 15 years before! This movie turned out to be a winner in my book, and now that I rented it, I liked it so much I decided to pick up a copy all for myself. What follows are the specs on the movie, cast list, and finally a synopsis and review.

Format: VHS
Price: $17.99
Running Time: 130 minutes

Cast:

Peter Sellers: Chance
Shirley Mclaine: Eve Rand
Melvyn Douglas: Mr. Rand
Jack Warden: President Bobby
Richard Dysart: The Doctor
David Clennon: The Lawyer


Synopsis/Review.

The movie begins with Peter Sellers getting out of bed, in his pajamas. He is an older gentleman, and seems to watch a little bit too much television. A black woman comes to see him and tells him that the “old man” has passed on. He then continues to watch television, not affected at all by the news. She calls him a “damned fool”, and goes away in a huff, informing him that she is leaving the household for good. He goes up to have a look at the dead old man, and turns on the TV once again, and continues to watch. The only thing he says is things like “Yes” and “I understand”. Obviously he is a “special” person, and we learn his name is Chance, and that he is the gardener for the dead old man, and has worked and lived in this house all of his life. The next day, we see a scene in which he is in the main room of the house, and there are sheets on everything, he uncovers one, and turns on the television again, and watches. Meanwhile, the door to the house opens, and in walk two lawyers having a look over the estate of the deceased old gentleman, and they discover Chance, or “Chauncey”, as he is later known. They find out that he has never left the house, never been in an automobile, and is the gardener. They tell him he has to leave, so he packs up some of the old mans clothes, which fit him perfectly, and puts on a fine suit, and proceeds to leave the safety of his world, and out into the cold cruel world he ventures.

He is in the middle of the Washington DC ghetto, and eagerly watches basketball being played. Then he asks a group of young black kids if they know of a house that will take him in, one that has a garden. He is yelled at in jive, given a hard time, and escorted out of the neighborhood. Soon, he is walking downtown in DC, towards the capital, and in the evening, he finds a TV Store with a number of televisions in the display window. He tries to use his remote control, a new thing in 1978, to switch the channels, and backs up, and is promptly injured slightly by a limousine. The driver helps him, and the rich woman in the car, Eve Rand, played by Shirley Mclaine, take him to their incredibly posh home, as they have a doctor there full time to care for the owner, the rich Mister Rand, who is dying of cancer. At the dinner table, we find out that what little Chance has to say doesn’t matter. He is taken to be a wise and sagacious person, but in reality he is naïve and a simple, child-like man. From what he says, they gather his name is
Chauncey Gardner, and that he is a businessman, whose “house”, has just failed. They figure he was the victim of the economic recession, and the lawyers got to him. From here, his advice on gardening is thought to be metaphorical advice on the nation, economy, politics, etc. Mr. Rand turns out to be one of the richest and most influential men in the country, and introduces Chance to the president the next day. The president is so impressed with him, that he hires him to head up a whole new economic plan in the government. The trouble is, no one can find anything on his background.

The movie has many twists and turns of fate in it, and Chance plays along with them all, in his own simple style. When he answers, “Yes, I understand”, and plays out his gardening metaphors, people interpret this to mean, at different times, that he is a linguist, a businessman, a philosopher, etc. Finally, Eve Rand, played by Shirley Mclaine, falls head over heels in love with him, and tries to seduce him. All he wants to do is “watch”, so she seductively strips for him and writhes around on a bearskin rug, as he mainly watches TV. Finally, Mr. Rand dies, and the doctor gets together with the lawyer, and finds out in the end that he really was a gardener, and not this brilliant sage that everyone thinks he is. But, during the funeral of Mr. Rand, the pallbearers chat about nominating him for president of the United States! The final scene is one where he walks on water, and plunges his umbrella into the depths of the pond. When he walks on the water, the image is not a Christ like image, but one that represents to Chance, his reality and perceptions of the world. Perhaps the world is what you make of it.

A very surreal movie, this is. It is also a brilliant comedy, full of irony, metaphor, and misunderstandings. Chance is so innocent, and yet everyone sees in him what he or she wish to see. It is kind of like an antecedent for “Forrest Gump”. Move over Tom Hanks, Peter Sellers did it first! A brilliant movie with some wonderful acting, Peter Sellers is simply wonderful in his performance. He was nominated for best actor, but didn’t win. There are out-takes after the end, during the credits, and it is hilarious! A wonderful film, it is a mild “PG” at best, for a little harsh language in the ghetto, and the sexy and funny love scenes between Shirley Mclaine and Peter Sellers. Otherwise, it’s a family film for all to enjoy. Check it out!




Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
Special Effects: Well at least you can't see the strings