Review of Being There (2011) by Kenneth D — 26 Mar 2010

Peter Sellers as Chance the gardener is the legendary comedian's greatest film performance, earning him his second Academy Award nomination, and one the most outstanding screen presences in film history.

Chance is left homeless and unable to fend for himself following the death of "the old man", who gave him a home and something to do - gardening - for the entirety of his life. In a way that seems all to appropriate for man with the same man, Chance stumbles into the life of Eve (Shirley MacLaine) and Ben Rand (Melvyn Douglas). From here, "Chauncey Gardiner", as he comes to be known, is thrust into the national spotlight and the inner circle of Washington, D.C. society following his encounter with the President (Jack Warden), who thinks him an economic genius.

The story, adapted from a novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosinski, is truly one of a kind and powerful in a very subtle way.

Douglas won his second and last Academy Award (for Best Supporting Actor) for playing the extravagantly wealthy, influential businessman Ben Rand, who opens the world to Chance. MacLaine and Warden give enjoyable turns in the primary supporting roles.

But, it is Sellers who steals the movie. Dying just six months after the release of "Being There", Sellers brings to the screen a character of unmatched heroism in all his simplicity. Chance is the type of man you cannot help but love and just as his presence brings a refreshing peace to the lives of Eve, Ben, and the President, Sellers extents that feeling to the audience. In retrospect, Sellers performance must be considered on of the greatest performances of the last 50 years.