There are many layers of meaning in the 1979 black comedy Being There with Peter Sellers. This timeless comedy is intellectual and subtle, gratifying and perplexing all at once. Peter Sellers won a Golden Globe award for his role as Chance the Gardener, as well as an Academy Award nomination.
This movie review contains some spoilers while it dissects the psychological and spiritual implications of the movie's message. Since the movie is slow at times, lacking tension and conflict overall, the spoilers might be excused and should not interfere with your experience of seeing the movie.
Plot of the Movie Being There Starring Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine
A middle aged gardener, Chance, is played by Peter Sellers. His benefactor, referred to as "the old man" dies at the beginning of the film, leaving Chance homeless. His character is deceptively simple, leaving the audience wondering at first if he is mentally retarded or simple because he is focused so much on television, and acts naive in many scenes.
The movie moves along at a consistently slow pace, taking Chance out into the "real world" and his improbable encounters that propel him to high profile social and political success. There are scenes where the audience laughs out loud, but for the most part, this is a black comedy, where the humor is more intellectual and subtle.
Psychological and Spiritual Lessons in the 1979 Movie Being There
This movie is an Horatian satire on modern society. A society that is spiritually immature, lacks listening skills, lacks empathy, and whose values are upside down. Chance's naïveté is taken to the extreme, achieving the absurd and therefor a comedic effect.
Most movie reviews of Being There fail to dig deeper into the significance of Chance's excessive television viewing, simply stating that Chance's worldview is determined by watching t.v. or that all Chance knows of society is from television since he had never left his mansion or garden his whole life. Nobody has asked: "Why doesn't Chance grasp societal norms and complexities if he watches so much t.v.?"
The controversial and arguably irreverent ending speaks volumes to the meaning of the film and to explaining Chance's character. Chance is not retarded, he is not slow: he is enlightened. For some, this is a hard pill to swallow and the film ends more on a spiritual and philosophical note than a comedic note.
Being There is not a comedy for everyone. Black comedy can be an acquired taste, and this movie is especially slow in places. It takes patience and appreciation for the subtle humor to get through this brilliant comedy. Peter Sellers acting is stellar, given that his role as such a stoic (misunderstood as simple) character takes discipline in facial expressions and all movements.
For those who appreciate this movie, try watching it a second time and ask yourself the following:
- Which t.v. shows does Chance prefer? Is his choice of shows significant? Do the commercials have subtle meanings in regards the plot of the movie?
- What do Chance's facial expressions belie in each scene?
- Are you as an audience member, participating in foibles of which the characters in the film are guilty? Namely, are you projecting your preconceptions and belief system onto Chance's character and the meaning of the film?
Be sure to watch the movie's outtakes at the end, it's refreshing to see Peter Sellers unable to stop giggling after a whole movie of his stoic character.
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