Common Sense Note
Parents should know that BEING THERE is emotionally taxing and touching. There is some brief profanity. In one off-screen moment that is meant to be comedic, a woman masturbates with the hopes of seducing a man who is clearly not interested.
Families can talk about issues regarding the media. What part does the media play in the creation of Chauncey Gardiner? Is Chance's depiction as a simpleton politically correct or ideologically problematic? In addition, parents may want to discuss this film in the context of contemporary Hollywood. How does its rather small and understated narrative compare to films today? Can they think of anything similar?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kelly Kessler
Mr. Chance has spent his life working as a rich man's gardener. Though illiterate, a bit slow, and obsessed with television, he possesses a unique passion for plants. Upon the death of his employer, a confused Chance is cast out into the big world. Having never cooked, ridden in a car, or visited a doctor by himself, he sees a minor automobile accident as a lucky break as the woman involved in the accident, Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine), whisks him back to the house of her rich and ailing husband (Melvyn Douglas). The Rands misinterpret the oddity of Chance -- misidentified as an insightful Chauncey Gardiner -- as profound insight. What starts as a misunderstanding evolves into a national phenomenon. Mortality, sex, and the presidency find new meaning when seen through the nearsighted eye of the mysterious stranger.
Sellers (The Pink Panther [1963], A Shot in the Dark [1964]) spent years trying to bring the story of the odd-duck gardener to the big screen, but not until the Pink Panther sequels renewed his bankability would a major studio agree to front the film. The result was a critically acclaimed and poignant piece, which glimpses life through the eyes of man-child Chance. The star earned many award nominations for his role and took home the Golden Globe. Director Hal Ashby won the coveted Golden Palm from the Cannes Film Festival, while Melvyn Douglas earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the ailing Benjamin Rand. Although the film has been touted as a classic, some people may find it too esoteric. The majority of the main characters are overall good people, but the film's premise emerges from a poignant/painful misunderstanding.
Parents, not kids, will be drawn to this film due to its grown-up humor. Those who enjoy BEING THERE might want to check out some of Sellers' other work including The Pink Panther, The Mouse that Roared, and the recent biopic about his life starring Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentA joke about genital size, sexual forwardness (usually based on misunderstandings), unseen (but heard) masturbation. |
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LanguageBrief swearing by street thugs. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoA small amount of social drinking. |
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