Being There

1979's BEING THERE is one of my very favorite films if for no other reason than its stillness.  Its quiet.  It mirrors the demeanor of Chance the gardener, the centerpiece of this story, which is more of an essay than a narrative.  Director Hal Ashby's film, perhaps his finest, is an elegantly produced bit of quiet satire.  You might expect me to also call it subtle, but that it is not.  Not a frame can be mistaken for anything but a bona fide task taker against American society.  Doubt it? Check the graffiti on the building early in the picture:

America ain't shit 'cause the white man's gotta god complex

That may also point the way to the film's much discussed final scene, which I will not reveal.  More perfect an image for this fable/fairy tale I can't imagine.  Maybe this story isn't so fantastic after all? Depending on when you are reading this, the political landscape is likely still filled with those who can't stop hearing themselves speak and those who seek alternatives.  In the world of BEING THERE, a savant like Chance, who can only utter words about his longtime profession and what he has digested from countless hours of television, is the proverbial breath of fresh air.  A man of few words, which are interpreted to be deep with meaning.  One of the many layers of this film is how interpretation is often so foolish.  More reflective of the interpreter than any intended meaning.  This occurs in many arenas.  How dangerous it could be in Washington, D.C.

But there they are near the end of the film, speaking of how "Chauncey Gardiner", a simpleton who had the good fortune to be hit by the limo of a well connected elderly mogul and later became the toast of the Beltway, could become a viable candidate for the U.S. Presidency.  I watched the film and thought, "Well he certainly couldn't be worse than the current forty fifth!"

Chance (played to an almost unexplainable perfection by Peter Sellers) has spent his entire life in the confines of a wealthy man's estate, tending to his garden.  When the man passes, lawyers arrive to inform him he must vacate.  Chance has never been outside the house.  Never even been in an automobile.  He wanders the mean D.C. streets, trying to silence of group of young punks with his T.V. remote.  The channel doesn't change.

Then, through events previously outlined, Chance (now known as Chauncey due to a mishearing of his name) finds himself beloved by said mogul, a terminally ill political kingmaker named Ben Rand (Oscar winner Melvyn Douglas).  He and everyone else will take Chance's platitudes about tending to the garden as political and economic metaphors.  Even the President (Jack Warden, excellent as always) will hang on every word.  Chance lands a spot on a TV talk show.  Accompanies Mrs. Rand (Shirley Maclaine, luminous) to important dinners.  Constantly mistaken for some kind of reticent genius.  Only in America.

Granted, BEING THERE is a one joke movie, but the riffs on this joke are limitless. Especially in a town of fabled, over educated fools such as the District of Columbia.   Jerzy Kosinski, who adapted his novel (with an uncredited overhaul by Robert C. Jones), has created a potent, yet disarmingly gentle rib at society.  Ashby gets the tone absolutely right.  His direction is perfect in every imaginable way. Aiding the film's vibe is Caleb Deschanel's gorgeous photography.  The Biltmore Estate, a location used for Rand's home, is a character in itself.

The film is filled with actual commercials, movies, and programs seen on late 1970s television.  The timing of them is also quite perfect and effective, never cute.  They create a film of its time, but BEING THERE is indeed quite timeless.

P.S. I have the agree with the criticism of using humorous outtakes during the credits.  They are very funny but placed after that lovely final scene, the spell is fractured a bit.