Review of Being There (1979) by Sirchas M — 02 Feb 2015

Subtle and brilliant, Hal Ashby's prescient comedy may've bowed during the Me Generation, but it packs more of an ironic punch and makes even more sense today. A film like Being There never happens by accident. The narrative and presentation prove so mannered that you begin to wonder if the writer-director himself shouldn't be afforded the same godly status that sometimes gets ascribed to the main character. Even his name, Chance, holds a great deal of wink wink knowingness, as an accelerated and cynical culture accidentally turns this seemingly simplistic man into a pariah. The film's commentary on media addiction and political spin doctoring perhaps grabs latecomers the most, however, pre-dating our current society in which we largely communicate and gather information and opinions through multiple screens. Even though it arrived in cinemas at the end of the '70s, the film earns a top spot during both the Easy Riders-Raging Bull Generation AND still today.

In this PG-rated comedy, a sheltered gardener (Peter Sellers) becomes an unlikely trusted adviser to a powerful businessman (Melvyn Douglas, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) and an insider in Washington politics.

Without a brave and letter perfect lead performance, however, Being There wouldn't work on any of these meta-levels. Having an actor known mostly for absurdist comedy take on this one-note yet endlessly complex figure is brash enough. Pulling through with the apathetic mimicry needed to sell through this right-place/right time stooge is another thing altogether. Peter Sellers was called many things but genius is the one that's wholly agreed upon. His brash director, Hal Ashby, likewise earns this status--if not just for this, then for his entire CV (Harold and Maude, Shampoo, The Last Detail, Coming Home). Finding inquisitive angles to spy these goings-on while letting a lot of the action play out in long takes (with cinematographer Caleb Deschanel brilliantly helping to set the mood and tone), you get caught up in the hypnotic spin as much as the supporting characters. If it doesn't play well for every last modern filmgoer, afflicted as they are with a gnat's attention span, it's not Being There's fault for Being Square. It's simply too smart for some rooms.

Bottom line: There, And Back Again.