Being There (1979)

Director:

Hal Ashby

Writers:

Jerzy Kosinski (novel)
Jerzy Kosinski (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

19 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Getting there is half the fun; being there is all of it!

Plot:

Chance, a simple gardener, has never left the estate until his employer dies. His simple TV-informed utterances are mistaken for profundity.

Plot Keywords:

Gardener | Washington D.C. | Political | Television | Businessman

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Peter Sellers	...	Chance
Shirley MacLaine	...	Eve Rand
Melvyn Douglas	...	Benjamin Turnbull 'Ben' Rand
Jack Warden	...	President 'Bobby'
Richard Dysart	...	Dr. Robert Allenby
Richard Basehart	...	Vladimir Skrapinov
Ruth Attaway	...	Louise
David Clennon	...	Thomas Franklin (as Dave Clennon)
Fran Brill	...	Sally Hayes
Denise DuBarry	...	Johanna Franklin
Oteil Burbridge	...	Lolo
Ravenell Keller III	...	Abbaz
Brian Corrigan	...	Policeman by White House
Alfredine P. Brown	...	Old Woman asked for lunch (as Alfredine Brown)
Don Jacob	...	David (as Donald Jacob)
Ernest McClure	...	Jeffrey (as Ernest M. McClure)
Kenneth Patterson	...	Perkins
Richard Venture	...	Wilson
Arthur Grundy	...	Arthur
W.C. 'Mutt' Burton	...	Lewis
Henry B. Dawkins	...	Billings
Georgine Hall	...	Mrs. Aubrey
Nell P. Leaman	...	Constance
Villa Mae P. Barkley	...	Teresa
Alice Hirson	...	First Lady
James Noble	...	Kaufman
Timothy Shaner	...	Presidential Aide
William F. Williams	...	Presidential Aide
William Dance	...	Presidential Aide
Jim Aar	...	Presidential Aide
William Lubin	...	Presidential Aide
Gerald C. McNabb Jr.	...	Woltz
Hoyt Clark Harris Jr.	...	Riff
Ned Wilson	...	Honeycutt
Stanley Grover	...	Baldwin
John Harkins	...	Courtney
Katherine De Hetre	...	Kinney (as Katherine DeHetre)
William Larsen	...	Lyman Stuart
Jerome Hellman	...	Gary Burns
Arthur Rosenberg	...	Morton Hull
Sam Weisman	...	Colson
Fredric Lehne	...	TV Page
Gwen Humble	...	Annie Lawson
Laurie Jefferson	...	TV Reporter
Allen Williams	...	Other Reporter
Janet Meshad	...	Other Reporter
Paul Marin	...	Other Reporter
Melendy Britt	...	Sophie
Hanna Hertelendy	...	Natasha Skrapinov
Elya Baskin	...	Karpatov
Than Wyenn	...	Ambassador Gaufridi (as Thann Wyenn)
Richard McKenzie	...	Ron Stiegler
Sandy Ward	...	Senator Slipshod
Danna Hansen	...	Mrs. Slipshod
Mitch Kreindel	...	Dennis Watson
Richard Seff	...	Pallbearer
Terrence Currier	...	Pallbearer
Leon Greenberg	...	Pallbearer
Austin Hay	...	Pallbearer
Mark Hammer	...	Pallbearer
Maurice Copeland	...	Pallbearer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hal Ashby	...	Man at file cabinet at the Washington Post (uncredited)
Basil Hoffman	...	Man in Commercial (uncredited)
Jerry Jensen	...	General (uncredited)
Alexandria Walsh	...	Court reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Hal Ashby

Writing credits
Jerzy Kosinski		(novel)
Jerzy Kosinski		(screenplay)
Robert C. Jones		uncredited

Produced by
Andrew Braunsberg	....	producer
Charles Mulvehill	....	associate producer (as Charles B. Mulvehill)
Jack Schwartzman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Johnny Mandel

Cinematography by
Caleb Deschanel

Film Editing by
Don Zimmerman

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Michael D. Haller		(as Michael Haller)

Art Direction by
James L. Schoppe		(as James Schoppe)

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Costume Design by
May Routh

Makeup Department
Edie Panda	....	hair stylist: Shirley MacLaine
Charles H. Schram	....	Peter Sellers' make-up
Charles H. Schram	....	makeup artist: Peter Sellers (as Charles Schram)
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist: Peter Sellers
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist: Shirley MacLaine

Production Management
Charles Mulvehill	....	production manager (as Charles B. Mulvehill)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Hamburger	....	first assistant director (as David S. Hamburger)
Toby Lovallo	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Irving Dion	....	propmaker foreman
Charles McKinlay	....	propmaker foreman
Ray Mercer Jr.	....	property master
Richard Reseigne	....	construction coordinator
Arthur Shippee	....	assistant property master (as Arthur Shippee Jr.)
Larry Verne	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Don Coufal	....	boom operator
Norval D. Crutcher	....	sound effects editorial staff
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	sound effects editorial staff
Gary S. Gerlich	....	sound effects editorial staff
Victoria Martin	....	sound effects editorial staff
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Don Mitchell)
Frank E. Warner	....	supervising sound effects editor (as Frank Warner)
Jeff Wexler	....	production sound mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Bill Nicholson	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Don Hansard	....	process coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sidney Ray Baldwin	....	still photographer (as Sidney Baldwin)
Craig Denault	....	first assistant camera
Clyde Hart	....	key grip
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Harry C. Howard	....	video engineer
Louis Mahler	....	video playback operator
Pete Martinez	....	video playback operator (as Peter Martinez)
Nick McLean	....	camera operator
Ken Nishino	....	second assistant camera (as Kenneth Nishino)
Dianne Schroeder	....	special photography

Casting Department
David Welch	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tony Faso	....	wardrobe: men (as Anthony Faso)
Suzanne Grace	....	wardrobe: women

Editorial Department
Rebecca Einfeld	....	apprentice film editor
Mireille Machu	....	editorial consultant
Mark Warner	....	assistant editor
Ron Lambert	....	color timer (uncredited)
Steven Ramirez	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Michael McDuffee	....	assistant transportation coordinator
Gerald R. Molen	....	transportation coordinator (as Jerry Molen)

Other crew
Edle Bakke	....	script supervisor
Charles Clapsaddle	....	production assistant
Pablo Ferro	....	title designer
Michael Flowers	....	production assistant
Michael Jeffery	....	assistant: Peter Sellers
Loretta Lorden	....	secretary to the director
Don Mischer	....	director: "Gary Burns Show" video segment
Gregory Palmer	....	production assistant
Spencer Quinn	....	location manager
Ken Ryan	....	accountant (as Kenneth Ryan)
Dianne Schroeder	....	video researcher
Teresa Stokovic	....	production office coordinator
Beverly Walker	....	unit publicist
Anne Dutter	....	subtitles: original version with French subtitles (uncredited)
Georges Dutter	....	subtitles: original version with French subtitles (uncredited)
Stuart Neumann	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• BSB
• CIP
• Lorimar Film Entertainment
• NatWest Ventures
• Northstar

Distributors

• Adams Filmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Artédis (1995) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• ITC (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (19??) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• A.V.H. San Luis (200?) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV)
• Showtime Video (????) (Finland) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (deluxe edition)

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• C. D.  Italian dubbing by
• Location Video  video playback
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Chance

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | South Africa:PG | Finland:K-11 (2001: new rating) | Finland:K-12 (before new act of 2001) | France:U | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (1980) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Canada:14A | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Company:

BSB

Trivia:

Despite Peter Sellers' repeated requests, the producers would not remove the out-takes from the version they submitted to Cannes.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Eve enters Chance's room as he is eating breakfast in bed, the napkin beneath his chin changes position back and forth between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Chance the Gardener: Good morning, Louise.
Louise: He's dead, Chance. The old man's dead.
Chance the Gardener: I see.
[Chance goes back to watching TV]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ally McBeal: Being There (#1.21)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Quietly Demonstrates What an Enormous Talent Peter Sellers Was.

The original "Forrest Gump" came out in 1979 when Hal Ashby's "Being There" was first released. A quietly brilliant, hilarious, heart-wrenching and heart-warming motion picture that showed how great Peter Sellers (Oscar-nominated) was and how limitless his range was. He stars as a gardener at an old mansion in Washington, D.C. who has never been outside of the owner's small piece of property. When the owner dies, he has to leave the only home he has ever known. Sellers has no knowledge of anything except what he sees on television and he has a strange sort of child-like innocence that endears him to all he comes into contact with. After a minor accident, Sellers is taken to the home of a ridiculously wealthy political lobbyist (Melvyn Douglas in his second Oscar-winning performance) who is literally being kept alive as he has a rare form of cancer. Douglas immediately takes a liking to Sellers and so does his much-younger wife (Shirley MacLaine). Sellers is now in the spotlight though as he gets to meet the president (Jack Warden) and slowly starts to gain popularity and political support from those around him. Of course Sellers does not realize any of this as his understanding of such things are beyond his somewhat limited mental capabilities. A simply brilliant film that is carried by Sellers' amazing personal best performance. Everyone else is adequate, but this is Sellers' show. Douglas won the Oscar mainly due to sympathy votes, but surprisingly Sellers would die before Douglas as he passed away less than six months after receiving his Oscar nod of a massive heart attack. As good as Dustin Hoffman was in "Kramer vs. Kramer", I still wish that Sellers would have won the Oscar for this role which is one of the finest performances ever throughout the entire history of the cinema. 5 stars out of 5.