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
Bienvenue Mister Chance (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Desde el jardín (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Bem-Vindo Mr. Chance (Portugal) [pt]
Bienvenido, Mr. Chance (Spain) [es]
Chansu (Japan) [ja]
Dobro dosli gospodine Cens (Serbia) [sr]
Dobro dosli gospodine Chance (Croatia) [hr]
Isten hozta, Mr... (Hungary) [hu]
Merhaba dünya (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Muito Além do Jardim (Brazil) [pt]
Na eisai ekei, kyrie Chance (Greece) [el]
Oltre il giardino (Italy) [it]
Tervetuloa Mr. Chance! (Finland) [fi]
Välkommen Mr Chance! (Sweden) [sv]
Välkommen Mr. Chance (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Velkommen Mr. Chance (Denmark) [da]
Willkommen, Mr. Chance (West Germany) [de]
Wystarczy byc (Poland) [pl]

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:

It took Peter Sellers' nearly nine years to get this movie made by a studio, mostly because by the 1970s Sellers' career had hit rock bottom and no studio in Hollywood would dare work with him. After the revival (and success) of the Pink Panther movies, Lorimar pictures finally greenlit the project.

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 Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

Soundtrack:

Also Sprach Zarathustra

Sellers deserves the Oscar not hanks,

When I first saw Being There I was all of 10 years old, and for some reason, I loved it. And yet I could never exactly say why. Several years latter while looking for another movie, I happen across this video and read the review. Chance Gardner played charmingly by Peter Sellers, ( I think that is what the reviewer wrote) stumbles his way into the upper crest where he is mistaken for someone with deep knowledge of the world. Other reviews point out this movie is cynical characterization of self absorbed people in politics and media. As a kid I didn't get that, and now on further reflection what I liked about this movie was how these people where drawn to Chances innocence. In some ways Forrest Gump tried to attempt to tell this story line, but only manages to rehash old stereotypes. Being There depicts in clever, real characters who use a veil of politeness to cover up a cynicisim they have of their world and their own power. But for a kid and maybe why it has a cult following is because the heart of the show, whats addicting about is no matter how self absorbed we become, our best nature is drawn to a simple life, absent of complications. After watching the movie again, the dark comedy is more apparent, but I am happy to say that in the "Life and death of Peter Sellers", Sellers himself interpreted the character as I thought of it when I was kid. Gardner is a man who is sublimely content with no past and no future, and therefore no worries. As a kid I kind of new that as innocence. So if you rent this movie don't just see it as a black comedy, but also see it how a kid might, and for that matter how Peter Sellers saw it.