Hal Ashby’s cinematic trajectory was unique in that he established himself as a director in the 70s after years as a celebrated film editor in the 60s, including an Oscar for In The Heat Of The Night (1967). His incredible run of 70s film comedies, including Harold & Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973) and Shampoo (1975), culminated in his 1979 masterpiece, Being There. Adapted from Jerzy Kosiński's 1970 novel, Being There stars Peter Sellers in one of his most iconic performances, along side Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas and Jack Warden, in a biting satire about politics, race and the media in America. Ashby said he would only make the movie if Sellers was cast in the leading role.
Being There tells the story of Chance (Sellers), a simple-minded, middle-aged gardener who has spent his entire life tending to a wealthy man's garden. He watches TV at all times, from waking up to gardening to sitting down for breakfast, and has become immune to the realities of the world. There's something almost Chaplinesque about Sellers’ performance and Ashby talked of how important it was for Sellers to find the character's voice (slightly posh, vague and childlike) in order to inhabit the role. With no formal education or exposure to the outside world, Chance learns mannerisms and gestures through the TV, and when his employer dies, he is forced to leave his sheltered existence. Seeing Chance striding out the house the next day to the sound of Eumir Deodato's funky arrangement of the opening fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra (also used in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey) is a highlight of the film.
Through a series of serendipitous encounters, Chance finds himself in the company of powerful figures, including a wealthy businessman named Ben Rand (Douglas) and his wife, Eve (MacLaine). His simple-mindedness is mistaken for a rootsy, down-to-earth philosophy, and his narrow observations about gardening are interpreted as profound metaphors about life and economics. He draws in the whole of the Washington political and media establishment with his simplistic observations, including the President of the United States, in scenes that serve as a powerful critique of the media's role in shaping public opinion, and the superficiality and manipulation inherent in politics. Chance's childlike innocence also captivates Eve and a romantic relationship begins to develop between them.
Someone who isn't suckered in by Chance's charms is Louise, his ex-colleague and the housemaid of his former employer. She provides an important perspective on racism and inequality in America and how it's a "white man's world" and how Chance had "rice pudding between the ears" ever since she raised him but somehow he's now spouting "goobledygook" on national TV and being treated like a political prophet. The idea of some people being able to fail upwards, based on the colour of their skin and the wealth of their parents, is a central theme of the film and still very relevant in US society today. Ashby shows the pallbearers round Rand's coffin as the kingmakers of America and closes the film with a brilliant end scene of Chance walking on water (followed by the odd but original choice of outtakes over the end credits). The film is so well edited by Ashby and Don Zimmerman and it received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, with Sellers nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor and Douglas winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It's pure comedy gold.
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