BEING THERE

BEING THERE - 1979

RATED - PG Probably best suited for older teens and above. Some sexually related dialogue and a scene where a woman fully clothed masturbates (mostly off screen) to attract a man who is not interested. No nudity and one scene of language from a gang member.

RATINGS - 16 Amazon (4/5), 445,118 Netflix (3.8/5), 22,017 IMDB (8/10), Roger Ebert (4/4).

STARRING - Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine,

AWARDS - 1980 Academy Award for BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR & BEST ACTOR nominee. AFI TOP 100 Laughs, 1981 BAFTA nominees for BEST ACTOR, BEST ACTRESS & BEST FILM. 1980 Golden Globe awards for BEST ACTOR & BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR and nominees for BEST MOTION PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST ACTRESS.

THEME - Satire, relationships.

STORY - Peter Sellers plays Chance the long time gardener for a wealthy gentlemen who dies early in the film. Chance's life revolves around television and gardening. He has a TV close by wherever he is, even while working. His ability to communicate with others is limited to parroting what he hears and sees on TV. Put out on the street (literally) when the owner dies with nothing but a suitcase full of the owner's custom made suits (perfect fit except about 3 inches short in the legs) he tries to find what life has next. A minor accident lands him in the home of a wealthy and dying industrialist who has a powerful influence on the presidency. (the film is set in D.C.) who assumes that his cryptic speech and tailor made clothes represent an eccentric genius. (The real genius is Seller's acting in the film) His 'words of wisdom' (often the most recent words he has seen on TV) take on a life of their own when coming from the mouth of this 'genius'. Read Roger Ebert's review for a more in depth discussion of the various levels of interpretation one might read into the film. While not everyone (action oriented viewers) will appreciate this film, it is a terrific satire on our culture and the way people react with pre-conceived perceptions of the way people dress and talk. While set in D.C., a great deal of the movie is filmed at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, an unbelievable landmark. People have discussed the meaning of the last scene, where Chance (appears to) walks on water across the pond, since the film was released. Great discussion potential, terrific acting and a fun (although somewhat quirky) movie. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 07/19/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB/TRAILER, ROGER EBERT