Peter sellers is probably not traditionally attractive. Chance, who has spent his life working as a rich mans gardener. Peter sellers was excellent, as was the entirety of the cast, complemented by a strong, intelligent, and subtle script. But as a showcase for the daring genius of peter sellers, this is a classic movie in a category all its own.
Being there was the last film featuring sellers to be released in his lifetime. Aug 28, 2019 the movie, starring peter sellers as chauncey, was released exactly 40 years ago, and went on to join that small pantheon of movies that achieved their own semiimmortality. Peter sellers plays an innocent and illiterate gardener who ends up the most influential man in washington, d. Language english, russian, italian director hal ashby cast peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas.
Upon the death of his employer, a confused chance is cast out into the big world. A simpleminded gardener named chance has spent all his life in the washington d. Peter sellers plays his part with admirable restraint and the rest of the. He was the son of agnes doreen peg marks and william bill sellers. He performed in the bbc radio comedy series the goon show, featured on a number of hit comic songs and became known to a worldwide audience through his many film roles, among them chief inspector clouseau in the pink panther series of films. This page contains quotes from the movie being there. Sellers would play clouseau in two more successful sequels, the pink panther strikes again 1976 and revenge of the pink panther 1978, and sellers would use his newly rediscovered clout to realize his dream of playing chauncey gardiner in a film adaptation of jerzy kosinskis novel being there. In 2015, ben carson, a brain surgeon portraying himself is a candidate for president of the united states of america in being here. Based on jerzy kosinskis satirical novel about an illiterate gardener who has lived his entire life behind the walls of a washington, d.
Being there critics consensus smart, sophisticated, and refreshingly subtle, being there soars behind sensitive direction from hal ashby and a stellar peter sellers performance. What are the interpretations of chance walking on water at. The 1979 film is a semiserious comedy starring peter sellers as chance, a tveducated gardener, whose simplemindedness and lack of protocol is mistaken for deep wisdom. Chance peter sellers is a middleaged gardener who lives in the townhouse of a wealthy man in washington d. The film stars peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas, richard a. Peter sellers looks for a garden in a being there scene. The filming locations for hal ashbys oscar winning satire are around washington d. The film stars peter sellers and shirley maclaine, and features jack warden, melvyn douglas, richard dysart, and richard basehart. Strangelove on nbcs today show interview 1980 duration. Simpleminded chance peter sellers, a gardener who has resided in the washington, d. Downbeat, deadpan and oscarnominated peter sellers is chance the naive gardener, becomes a major celeb as his tiddly little gardening homilies are taken for deep wisdom.
Being there 1979, subtitled a story of chance, is a provocative and elegiac black comedy a wonderful dramatic yet placid tale or fable that satirized politics, celebrity, mediaobsession and television. The making of the film is portrayed in the life and death of peter sellers, a biographical film of sellers life. Strangelove and being there as well as the beloved comedy genius of classics ranging from the mouse that roared to the pink panther series in which he. Having lived his life as the gardener on a millionaires estate, chance peter sellers knows of the real world.
The film stars peter sellers and shirley maclaine, and features jack warden, melvyn douglas, richard dysart, and richard basehart douglas won the academy award for best supporting. The film being there has some brilliant acting from multiple people all around. All actors peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas, jack warden, richard dysart, richard basehart. A simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful businessman and an insider in washington politics. What is the meaning behind the movie being there 1979. Its a movie based on an idea, and all the conventional wisdom. Principal filming occurred at the biltmore estate, the largest private home in america, located in asheville, north carolina. A lifetime of comedies behind him, sellers ended his career as an actor and. Jun 25, 2017 the jawdropping biltmore estate, definitely set the tone for the film being there, a motion picture starring peter sellers, shirley maclaine, and, playing the sitting president, jack warden.
Of course, chess is not a game of thought but of mathematical strategy. The following analysis of being there contains major plot spoilers. It tells a story with minimal exposition and simplicity. Though illiterate, a bit slow, and obsessed with television, he possesses a unique passion for plants. Its screenplay was adapted by jerzy kosinski and the uncredited robert c. Often credited as the greatest comedian of all time, peter sellers was born richard henry sellers to a welloff acting family in 1925 in southsea, a suburb of portsmouth. There are three primary schools of thought on being theres ending. The viewer is getting a glimpse into chances persona when a coworker tells him of his employers passing. In uttering that line in the 1979 movie being there, chauncey gardiner peter sellers was confessing his addiction to television.
Mar 27, 2017 peter sellers doing accents and talking dr. Peter sellers interview being there pink panther 1980 reelin in the years archives duration. Being there, directed by hal ashby, is a rare and subtle bird that finds its tone and stays with it. Mar 30, 2009 the movie that cracked kubricks monolith code being. Based on the 1970 novel of the same name by jerzy kosinski, it was adapted for the screen by kosinski and the uncredited robert c.
Being at the biltmore meant being there for all time greats. The minute comedy was nominated for two honors at the 52nd academy awards, winning one for melyvn douglas in. Dec 17, 1979 in late december 1979, united artists unveiled being there, starring peter sellers. I raised that boy since he was the size of a pissant. Being there movie trailer starring peter sellers and shirley. Peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas, jack warden a simpleminded gardener named chance has spent all his life in the washington d. In the film, louise is the only black person chance has ever known until he leaves home.
It begins with a cockamamie notion, its basically one joke told for two hours, and it requires peter sellers to maintain an excruciatingly narrow tone of behavior in a role that has him onscreen almost constantly. Satire is a threatened species in american film, and when it does occur, its usually broad and slapstick, as in the mel brooks films. In 1979, peter sellers played a fictional character, chance the gardener chauncey gardiner in the bestselling movie, being there. On the day that kasparov was defeated by deep blue, i found myself thinking. His parents worked in an acting company run by his grandmother.
London critics circle film awards 1981 winner special achievement award. Being there is not for all tastesespecially not for those who dont appreciate comedic subtlety. This is reprinted with permission from reflections on being there by stuart fernie. Being there being there is on afis list of 100 years100 laughs as one of the funniest films to grace the silver screen. Bolstered by peter sellers wonderfully understated performance and a solid supporting cast, kosinskis cleverly rewritten satire is brought to life effectively and entertainingly. On the day that kasparov was defeated by deep blue, i found myself thinking of the film being there 1979. Since ashby does not show a pier, there is no piera movie is exactly what it. Suggest me movie is a free webbased film recommendation service. The best movie quotes, movie lines and film phrases by movie quotes. Having lived his life as the gardener on a millionaires estate, chance peter sellers knows of the real world only what he has seen on tv. Shocked to discover that the real world doesnt respond to the click of a remote, chance stumbles into celebrity after being taken under the wing of a tycoon melvyn douglas, in an oscarwinning. Peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas, jack warden. There are three primary schools of thought on being there s ending. With peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas, jack warden.
This is just like television, only you can see much further. In one of his most finely tuned performances, peter sellers plays the purehearted, childlike chance, a gardener who is forced into the wilds of washington, d. It has the appeal of an ingenious intellectual game, in which the hero survives a series of challenges he doesnt understand, using words that are both. The dual nature of the narrative culminates in chance being seriously considered for presidential candidacy, followed by the seemingly miraculous moment when he walks atop a pond. Chance seems very simpleminded and has lived in the house his entire life, tending the garden, with virtually no contact with the outside world.
In being there, the character of chauncey gardiner, a. Being at the biltmore meant being there for all time. Best actor in a supporting role motion picture melvyn douglas. The film stars peter sellers and shirley maclaine, and features jack warden. Being there is a 1979 american comedydrama film directed by hal ashby. One of peter sellers finest and final roles as an unassuming gardener who is mistaken for a brilliant philosoper. Mar 20, 2017 the movie that cracked kubricks monolith code being there 1979 film analysis duration. After that there are a couple of episodes that suggest he thinks all black people know each other or serve the same functions as one another.
The film stars peter sellers, shirley maclaine, melvyn douglas, jack warden, richard a. Best supporting actor melvyn douglaspeter sellers triumphs in his classic performance as an illiterate gardener who is. Star shirley maclaine was honored with the afi life achievement award in 2012, and the films cinematographer, caleb deschanel, was a member of the first class at the afi conservatory. Repeated lines, initially referring simply to his lifelong habit of watching television. The movie, starring peter sellers as chauncey, was released exactly 40 years ago, and went on to join that small pantheon of movies that. The chess champion said there was something about the computer he did not understand, and it frightened him. Ive included it here because i believe that being there is a deeply philosophical film that is misunderstood by film critics, who are not trained in philosophy. Peter sellers should have taken home the academy award for his role in being there. Hal ashbys being there is a movie that inspires those feelings. Apr 10, 2017 you know, the ultimate empty suit protagonist of jerzy kosinskis 1970 novel, being there, and the subsequent film made from the novel by hal ashby in 1979 starring peter sellers.
979 1427 892 971 1409 677 1496 1554 1327 1515 249 238 1498 480 829 1383 1524 568 181 1025 198 297 1492 912 253 920 712 1160 675 1500 1206 1228 1210 247 965 1070 520 1306 805 1171 23 152 16 507