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Being There

Deluxe Edition

Hal Ashby (Director), Peter Sellers (Actor), Shirley MacLaine (Actor) Rated:

Format: DVD

3,010 ratings

IMDb8.0/10.0

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Product Description

Being There: Deluxe Edition (DVD)

Being There author Jerzy Kosinski got a telegram from the books lead character Chance the Gardener: “Available in my garden or outside of it.” Kosinski dialed the accompanying phone number and Peter Sellers answered. The result was Sellers indelible performance (scoring National Board of Review and Golden Globe Best Actor Awards and an Academy Award nomination*) in this modern comedy classic. Isolated all his life in a Washington, DC, townhouse, Chance knows only what hes seen on TV. Cast into the world, he stumbles into the world of power brokers (including Melvyn Douglas in his second Oscar-winning* role) eager for “sage wisdom.” Youll like to watch.

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Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.53 inches; 3.2 Ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 4649928
Director ‏ : ‎ Hal Ashby
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 10 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ February 3, 2009
Actors ‏ : ‎ Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French, English, Spanish
Producers ‏ : ‎ Andrew Braunsberg, Jack Schwartzman
Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified, English (Mono), French (Mono), Spanish (Mono)
Studio ‏ : ‎ WarnerBrothers
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001IHJ988
Writers ‏ : ‎ Jerzy Kosinski
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #24,842 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
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Katherine W.

Ensemble is the best part

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 28, 2022

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Funny, and the supporting characters are who really did it for me. Peter Sellers did not particularly impress me. I wasn't really expecting anything, since I didn't know what the movie was about. However, it seemed at times more that I knew he was acting and he knew he was acting, whereas the rest of the cast was very good. Perhaps that was the point? I'm not sure. It was a truly odd film. I thought it did bring the point out that groups of people do desire a leader, regardless of the qualifications, and will stop at nothing to enthrone them, man, woman, or child. They will create the leader, and then destroy the leader, when it serves their needs. This film was quirky, and I kind of liked its quirkiness, but I can't say I liked its lead.

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Sal Magnum

It's A White Man's World!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 18, 2009

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"Being There"-- so what DOES the title mean? Ilana Douglas, (real-life granddaughter of Melvyn Douglas, whose impeccable portrayal of the old tycoon justifiably won him his second Oscar in a long and worthy career) in the short reminisce that comprises the entirety of the "special features", said that to her "Being There" meant being in the moment. That Peter Sellers' characterization of the man known alternately as Chance the Gardener and Chauncey Gardener was so strong it kind of drug everyone else in and there was a kind of onscreen reality, if you will, a "being in the moment" that happened and made this film the profound masterpiece that it is.

I am not one to disagree with that take. It is equally viable as any of my own thoughts on the subject, (depending on your point of view) yet perhaps there is more to it than that. I have found that many trully great pieces of art posses a certain ambiguity about them that goes beyond anything the author originally intended. A meaning that is only revealed through the realization of the work itself, a force which surpasses any conceptual inspiration. I think this is the "Being There" that Ilana Douglas refers to. When Peter Sellers went "full-on retard", as it were, "full-on shut-in" rather, the rest of the cast could not but help to follow suit in their portrayals of what are essentially cultural caricatures, and magic was made in front of the camera lens. No denying that. However, there is another aspect of "Being There", something that may in fact be more intentional and blatant as conceived by the author of the book this film is based on, yet, because most people aren't willing to climb the ladder's top rung, usually remains much more evasive.

Follow me if you will down this rabbit hole;
I couldn't help thinking that it harks back to the old adage about "being a fly on the wall". Have you ever had that notion when thinking about how the corporate sector and the political structure of our country and the world is really run at the top? To be a fly on the wall during those subtle, intimate moments when old, bloodless creatures congregate and deals are struck, policies are shifted and Atlas shrugs? Of course we are able to see the aftermath of many of these moments, which allows those of us who get beyond the smoke and mirrors and dog and pony tricks to understand the nature of the course our society is on, and where it is being steered-- but to hear it from their own curmudgeonly lips! To hear them acknowledge public sentiment against their tyranny yet justify it as necessary for the good of the species in the long run!-- perhaps just after they've been pumped full of another fresh batch of blood to keep them in good spirits as per Chance's first encounter with old Ben Rand. "Some call me a 'kingmaker', but I've stayed true to myself, and that's what matters most of all , my boy."

Wasn't this concept (the fly on the wall, the emotionless being who likes to watch, etc.) the onus of what this film was actually all about? One of the most cleverly disguised depictions of what life is really like at the top? To be a master of the world, to live as if life will never end, as if you will be at the controls forever, and yet, to still be powerless against death when your time has come. To have it all, to live in opulence and luxury while the rest of the world goes to the dogs,(as so poignantly depicted when the Gardener leaves the house he's spent his whole life shut up in for the first time) yet, in the end, to be drug down to Sheol with the rest of us.

So it is that we get to observe our overlords (or at least their caricatures) throught the glinted eyes of a perpetual voyeur (the fly on the wall), the only one of us "down-to-earth" enough to be allowed within their hallowed walls. A character sought after and hobknobbed by the upper eschalon by virtue of his rare optimism and seeming lack of judgementalism, a trait which tends to infect all those of us not quite placated enough to be content to just watch.
Which begs the question concerning the "common man"'s role in modern civilization; are we nothing more than voyeurs? Our thoughts shaped and controlled by the fabricated envoirnment we live in on this tedius journey through life, watching the big men make their moves on deck while kept safely locked away down in the holding regions below?

How about that tomb, eh? A beautiful, little beady eye that makes the one on the back of the dollar bill look like a pale imitation. A legacy for a proud, life-long upholder of The Code, a fitting monument, built in finely hewn stone, built to last. The pallbearers hastily deciding momentous strategy in hushed tones while bringing the old man to his tomb-- er, ah..."final resting place". The show must go on, plenty more runners to snatch up the baton and carry on.

Jack Warden as president!! The first time he appears onscreen is from afar, yet I recognized his craggy features (talk about finely hewn!)from that instant and it filled my heart with glee. What a man, eh? From "Twelve Angry Men", to "...And Justice For All", to "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead", one was never disappointed with a performance from old Jack. Or his cousin Robert Loggia, for that matter. (Somehow the two are inexplicably linked within the caverns of my mind.) Fitting how his character eulogized the deceased, his own doubts and impotence weighing on him like a roped man at the gallows.

Yes, a lot to digest in this flick, many a hearty meal for the cranial sponge to soak in. Watch it again and again, let it marinate your senses.

Other musings gleaned in passing: *The firm handshake and stiff upper lip. *An ascot and fine taste in all things good. *The rich are fanciful creatures-- they can afford to be. *A proper gentleman, a pillar of stregth to those that succomb easily to temptation and desperation. "I like to watch..." yes, I do too.

6 people found this helpful

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Stella Carrier

One Life Changed Dramatically

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 3, 2017

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The film Being There has some brilliant acting from multiple people all around. In Being There, the character of Chauncey Gardiner, a.k.a Chance the Gardner (Pete Sellers) ends up starting all over after the death of his employer. The viewer is getting a glimpse into Chance’s persona when a coworker tells him of his employer’s passing. The fact that he has never ventured outside of his employer’s home is the least of his challenges when he is told by some lawyers handling his estate that he has to move out of his employer’s home by the next day. The viewer is left wondering how things are going to go for Chance until he is unexpectedly hit by a car with Eve Rand (Shirley Maclaine) and owned by her husband wealthy businessman Ben Rand. There are multiple brilliant acting performances all around yet I have to admit that I thought the acting portrayal of Eve Rand was very moving/heartfelt because of the hospitality she showed to who she mistakes for Chauncey Gardiner (Chance the Gardener) while dealing with the emotions she has while coping with the situation involving her husband Ben Rand who even with her misgivings she clearly loves. Regardless of how I may be perceived for writing this, I do believe that a person can learn more about the world around them/become wiser regardless of their age, it just may take more effort from some compared to others depending on the type of life a person is living and the environment they voluntarily choose to reside in. However, I was surprised to see Eve Rand react that way she did around Ben Rand only because it is common knowledge both many men and women romantically crave someone who is somewhat at least on the same level of intelligence or greater, the same level of being intuitive andor greater andor the same level of self-confidence or greater self confidence as them. I understand how abrasive this may sound, it is just that I had to give a disclaimer to others to imply the level of an open mind a person must keep to watching this. Even to this day, many mainstream articles (even from spiritual sources andor even from respected andor prestigious sources) preface the type of job andor socio-economic status a person has in order to imply the worthiness of the article. I am complain free while saying this, I’m just implying the way of the beast common knowledge wise. Chauncey Gardiner becomes very popular, has an esteemed reputation in even the high society circles of the Washington D.C. area and not one person is able to dig up anything juicy about his past. Even a male employee connected to the Washington Post tries to dig up something gossip-worthy for mainstream fame yet he causes a female employee to quit when he presses for her to do it and she tried to make it clear that trying to dig up any history on Chauncey Gardiner is in vain. The Washington Post reporter felt compelled to dig up some info after noticing Chauncey Gardiner’s reputation bringing him fame after the President (Jack Warden) quotes him in a speech. The only man who seems to know the truth about Chauncey Gardiner is Dr. Robert Allenby (Richard Dysart). However, Dr. Allenby holds back from telling his employer Ben Rand the truth in order to protect Rand’s morale and high spirits. The end of the movie ruthlessly skewers politics by the way a group of men have a discussion around politics and how this ties into the main character (played by Peter Sellers). Even I know to be very careful what online andor offline sources(such as television) that I comment on andor share yet fortunately it is because of both knowledge gleaned from my undergraduate college years and my interest in public relations/advertising trends that help inform my discernment. For these reasons alone, I strive to avoid judging others who are still learning discernment even as I am guilty of playing along with some of the online sources that I’m aware are targeted to me for certain reasons. I refrain from saying more as a woman such as myself has to keep some secrets as to how to tell which online andor offline sources that are worth me looking at and which ones are better left for others.

14 people found this helpful

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HUGO VAN HERPE

Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Sellers was nominated ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 6, 2015

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-Being There is a 1979 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby. Adapted from the 1970 novella by Jerzy Kosinski, the screenplay was written by Kosinski and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. The film stars Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard A. Dysart, and Richard Basehart.
Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Sellers was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role.[2] The screenplay won the 1981 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Film) Best Screenplay Award and the 1980 Writers Guild of America Award (Screen) for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. It was also nominated for the 1980 Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay.
Being There was the last film featuring Sellers to be released in his lifetime. The making of the film is portrayed in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, a biographical film of Sellers' life.

-Principal filming occurred at the Biltmore Estate, the largest private home in America, located in Asheville, North Carolina.

Reception:

-The film opened to positive reviews and helped revitalize Sellers' comic career after he had starred in many movie flops, except for the Pink Panther movies. Film critic Roger Ebert mentions the final scene in his 2005 book The Great Movies II (p. 52), stating that his film students once suggested that Chance may be walking on a submerged pier. Ebert writes, "The movie presents us with an image, and while you may discuss the meaning of the image, it is not permitted to devise explanations for it. Since Ashby does not show a pier, there is no pier — a movie is exactly what it shows us, and nothing more."
Sellers won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in Being There. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor as well at the 52nd Academy Awards, but he lost to Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer. Hoffman, upon receiving the award, remarked that he refused to believe that he had beaten Sellers, or any of the other nominees.
Melvyn Douglas won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance.
The credits at the film's end roll over a humorous outtake, known as the "Rafael outtake." Sellers was later displeased that the outtake ran because he believed it took away from Chauncey's mystique. He also believed the outtake was what prevented him from winning the Oscar.
The film is ranked number 26 on the AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs list, a list released by the American Film Institute in 2000 of the top 100 funniest films in American cinema.

7 people found this helpful

coffee 1

Delicately played

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 3, 2022

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One of Peter Sellers finest performances. He plays a simple character that is whisked into the company of the rich and politically famous, of no fault of his own. For me, this character is very different from his usual comedy performance, and he portrays Chance very well.

Elleppi

A genious film directed like a silent film full of silence, hesitation, empty moments: exactly like his main character

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 8, 2010

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What's great about this film? Of course, Peter Sellers. And some great supporting actors like JAck Warden and Shirley McLaine.
And the idea, the script, that imagines a man whose only knowledge is his own garden and tv. BUt much of the greatness of this film is in the way it is directed: a quiet style which apparently let the scenes develop, the characters reveal, the true meaning of the story emerge. And the more it seems invisible, the more perfect it must be. From director Hal Ashby (LAst Detail, Shampoo, Harold and Maude) a still, cold, almost silent film, where every shot, every dialogue, every scene is perfectly calibrated, with a perfect timing, the right balance, to produce a hylarious comedy, that is a bitter, disenchanted, although filled with a strange sense of mystery, of magic, of fascination for the total emptiness of the character. Because emptiness, sometimes, can even coincide with the ultimate step of zen and sanctity....

9 people found this helpful

Ozymandias

Not quite the masterpiece I had been told to expect!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 8, 2015

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Had heard a lot about this and eventually got round to seeing it. Quoted as a masterpiece and as Peter Sellers' finest hour, and so on. I did find it enjoyable, as a whimsical tale, and Peter Sellers certainly plays that out very well. The final few seconds make you think, no spoiler from me but I expect other reviews will ruin that for people, how considerate some reviewers are. Not. For me not a masterpiece at all, just an interesting story and nicely done but only 4 stars.

3 people found this helpful

D. Schulten

excellent film, the blur ray tranfer is ok

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 10, 2011

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The bluray quality is so-so in my opinion (although far better than the dvd of course) The main reason for buying the film is the extraordinary central performance by Peter Sellers. He delivers a master-class in screen acting; it's truthful, focused, economical, funny and often very emotional. In my opinion it's far superior to Dustin Hoffman's (excellent) performance in Rain Man (which many compare it too)and for which he won an Oscar. Sellers deserved one for Being There. Watch this, the performance of his career and you'll see what I mean.

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