Being There – I thoroughly enjoyed watching this classic film today. United States Library of Congress in 2015 selected this film for preservation in their National Film Registry. The hero of the film, Peter Sellers – of Pink Panther fame – won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in this film.
The story is about a middle-aged by name “Chance” who has lived all his life caretaking the garden of a rich benefactor in Washington, DC. It so happens – don’t ask why just enjoy it – that “Chance” has never left the house, not seen the outside world, and is illiterate – a true simpleton. After his work, he watches TV – he has a set everywhere in the house, in the kitchen, in the garden, in the garage, in his bedroom – his only learning about life is from watching TV. One day the benefactor dies, leaving Chance thrown out by the estate attorneys. With nowhere to go, Chance finds himself as a guest to one of the wealthiest man in America. There he gets to meet the President of the United States, who mistakes Chance’s remarks about gardening to be a profound statement on the state of the economy. The President mentions Chance’s name in his speech, which shoots him to national fame overnight.
I liked how everyone – including Washington Post, News Networks and even the President is scrambling to find the background of Chance – CIA thinks its the FBI that has erased his past and FBI thinking it is CIA that’s behind him – laughter riot.
Just like a P.G.Wodehouse novel, there is nothing bad happens in this film. Watch it for sure.
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