Amazon.com Essentials:
Thanks to an extraordinary, delicately balanced performance by Peter
Sellers, Being There received mixed reviews during its theatrical
release in 1979, but has since become a celebrated comedy with a loyal
following. It's one of the most unusual black comedies ever made, simply
because it stretches a simple premise over 130 minutes of straight-faced,
strangely compelling commentary on politics, media, and celebrity in
media-savvy America. Adapted by Jerzy Kozinsky from his own novel, the
movie's about a simple-minded, middle-aged gardener who, after a lifetime
of seclusion and safety in a Washington, D.C. townhouse, gets his first
exposure to reality beyond the walls of his sheltered existence. His only
reference to the world is through his childlike addiction to television,
and when a chance encounter brings him into the inner fold of a dying
billionaire (Melvyn Douglas), he suddenly finds himself the toast of
Washington's political elite. His simple phrases about gardening are
misinterpreted as anything from economic predictions to sage political
advice, and under the sharp direction of Hal Ashby, Sellers has the
audacity to take this comedic conceit to its logical extreme. Being
There is not for all tastes--especially not for those who don't
appreciate comedic subtlety. But as a showcase for the daring genius of
Peter Sellers, this is a classic movie in a category all its own. --Jeff
Shannon
