Life...or death...or even gardening, I submit, is a state of mind.

In 1979’s Being There, these three instances occur simultaneously for a bemusing and irrepressibly bewitching comedy. Peter Sellers (Pink Panther movies) embraces the role of Chance, a fortyish gardener hooked on 70s’ TV who has never been taught to read or write. The master of the house, his “old man,” dies and the maid tells the unresponsive Chance, then leaves feeling sorry for him. A lawyer soon comes and forces the strange gardener to move out in 24 hours since there are no records of his existence.

When Chance prepares to leave and steps out the front door, there seems to be little regret in him. He is all alone in the world, facing the littered streets of Washington, D.C. for the first time in his life. The movie’s original music by Johnny Mandel, already a presence from the beginning with majestic classical rhythm, now swells into a funky mixture of the movie themes from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman and Peanuts. Exhilarating!

After a hilarious miscommunique with some “homies,” Chance manages to be hit by the limo of the U.S. President’s top financial advisor and his wife, Eve (young Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment), invites him to their sprawling estate (Biltmore House and Gardens, Ashville, NC) to be tended to by her dying husband’s doctor.

Naturally the dying man, Ben, played with verve by Melvyn Douglas, who won Best Supporting Actor a second time here, the first being H.U.D., takes a great liking to the plain-talking, but easily-misunderstood Chance, now known as Chauncy after Eve misinterprets his name. The affable President (Jack Warden, The Thin, Red Line) visits then, also falling for the ”wisdom” of Chauncy and quoting him on TV. Though the gardener has no understanding of the nation’s economy, the President applies his gardening advice as if he does! Chauncy’s line: If the roots are not severed, all is well with the garden, and all will be well with the garden.

Chauncy immediately becomes a star, appearing on a national talk show and fending off reporters, but all the while eighteen countries as well as Washington are trying to find out anything at all about his background. Do they ultimately care who Chauncy is? Ben, the dying man, doesn’t and would have us follow his lead.


Comments


It’s a voyage of discovery as the TV-obsessed gardener easily conquers the new, scheming world he has entered, basically having it handed to him on a silver platter just by revealing society’s ineptitude by nodding, smiling and laughing modestly. If I learned anything from Chauncy, I learned to be agreeable, gracious and not say too much unless asked a question! The last line of the movie, echoing a dead man, is “Life is a state of mind” and haunts us as Chauncy strolls across deep water.

It would seem that “being there” is what naturally-born gardeners do best. This foolish world falls at your feet if you inspire others to feel as if you care about them, even if you only still care just about gardening and TV. It’s what you believe in, whether it’s finding another garden to tend, the goodness of people or hearing words that aren’t there...that gets you through life.

Jerzy Kosinski’s screenplay is based on his 1971 book of the same name. Hal Ashby, still unpaid ten years later for flawless directing because he wanted outtakes during the credits, changed the script’s ending with much brouhaha. Some sexual themes, subject to far more speculation than I need mention, include the President’s impotency with his wife (several brief bed scenes), Eve’s flirting with a puzzled Chauncy and masturbation because he said he liked to watch, and a gay man thinking that Chauncy wanted to watch him with a partner. They’re all wonderfully amusing and show the innocence and yet assumed potency of the gardener’s mind.

Of course you will notice the political as well as social commentary and maybe even a parallel to the Royal Ball scene in My Fair Lady. It’s top-to-bottom insanity and fully recommended to all adults. No flaws to criticize.

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This is my late, off-the-wall entry to GinaHill and ed_grover’s Gardening Write-off to welcome the growing season. (My computer decided it needed a break, but is behaving now). I reviewed a fantastic gardening book a couple of weeks ago if you’re interested. Other participants of this write-off include:

Aashtech * AdaDavis * ariel10575 * artbyjude * BadKitty * BeeCharmer * bluehawq * bluekennedy * BonnieSayers * brendametcalf * Cntaur5 * Deaser26 * disartain * donnamr * dramastef * ed_grover * Elsa70 * Epinionsuser * Frazzledspice * GinaHill * hadassahchana * lkvanvoorhis * jankp * jkkelley * joydrop26 * jro26 * LadyCynic * LRGuis * MaryTara * Michiman1 * MrCalcul8r * MrsNormanMaine * MumMumMum * Naphtalia * nifer * patsyv * Pogomom * Psychovant * purplewiz * sherrylee * skbreese * Susiedee34 * Vormancian * Willeftk


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age