Hey everybody, Film Fanatic here with the introduction of a new, frequently updated column called "Forgotten Classics," reviews of underrated movies that deserve a second viewing.
The first "forgotten classic" is Hal Ashby's 1979 masterpiece "Being There," one of the most profoundly intelligent, subtly hilarious comedies of all time. Despite the fact that the film recevied almost unanimous rave reviews, and several Oscar Nomations upon its original release, it unfortunately has slipped under the radar in recent years.
The film stars Peter Sellers, in one of his last and greatest performances, as Chance--a mentally deficient gardner and avid television watcher. When the owner of the mansion where he takes residence dies, Chance must finally make his mark on the harsh real world. The only problem is that Chance has never taken a step outside of the house, and everything he knows about the world he's learned from television. After attempting (and failing) to make sense of the world around him (such as a group of young hoodlums pulling a knife on the delusional Chance, who then frantically clicks his remote control, desperate to change the channel), he gets accidentally hit by a car. The owner is Eve (Shirley Maclaine), the wife of dying billionaire Benjaim Rand. The first misinterpretation Chance experiences occurs when Eve mistakess him stating his name, "Chance the Gardner," as the distinguished sounding "Chauncey Gardiner." He also notes on his first car ride, "this is like television, only you can see much further." As Chance recuperates at the Rand mansion, he forms a quick connection with old Ben, who views him as a confidante, and believes him to be a lonely, soft-spoken businessman like himself. Despite the fact that Chauncey speaks in simple, basic langugae most of which deals with gardening, those around him mistake him for making profound profundities and metaphors, due to his careful enunciation and impeccable wardrobe. While this sounds like a one-joke premise, it takes only a few minutes before the viewer realizes that with its slow, methodical pace and timeless witty, understated sense of humor, "Being There" is no dumb, broad comedy. It is later revealed that Ben is in fact an advisor to the US President (Jack Warden), who pays a visit to Ben when Chance is present. Chance speaks his mind about literally the "changing seasons," but the two men misunderstand his simple observation, and think he's discussing the ever-changing nature of the economy. The President appears on national TV talking about what he believes to be a gardening metaphor, and Chance becomes a political celebrity!
"Being There" is more relevant now than it was upon its original release. Our culture has become even more TV-obsessed since the 1970's, and with all the specialized channels that have risen since that time, it's not hard to imagine a real-life man who could gain all his knowledge of the world from the boob tube. Chance is a blank slate, who becomes famous by people misinterpreting his simple statments to being more meaningful than they really are; everyone's projecting on to Chance what they want to hear. People are always searching for someone or something that gives them hope and reveal to them why life is important (another one of the film's subtexts is religion). In the film, it just so happens to be in the vessel of a mentally retarded gardener. The film is also politically relevant as well. Chance's ambiguous garden metaphors are not that disimiilar from the vague statements concerning the Iraq war spoken by our current president.
The performances of the film are flawless. Peter Sellers has the trickiest role to play; one false move by making the character broad or over-the-top would have ruined the film. Sellers is extremely low-key throughout, consistently using the same monotone voice, and displaying the simple, warmhearted smile that the Rands fall in love with. By the end of the move, the audience too genuinely cares about Chance. The other great performance belongs to Melvyn Douglas as Ben Rand, who received an Oscar for his role. Instead of playing the slowly dying billionaire as a self-pitying"woe is me" cliche, Douglas brings a wise, tough, low-key approach to Ben. Over the course of the film, thanks to Chance's pleasant, relaxed demeanor, Ben learns to accept his impending death. He tells his doctor that Chance has made "the thought of dying much easier."
The most talked element of "Being There" is the unexpected, fantastical ending. It brings to light numerous questions of who Chance really is: a Christ figure? An alien put on Earth for some grand purpose? The possibilites are endless. It's a perfect, melancholy ending to a beautiful film.
Perhaps the most bittersweet aspect of watching "Being There" is the fact that all of the principals involved in the film died within 12 years after the release of the picture. The 54-year-old Sellars died less than a year after the movie came out in 1979, and the 80-year-old Douglas, a year later. The visionary director, Hal Ashby, succumbed to cancer in 1988 at the age of 59, and the novelist and screenwriter of the film, Jerzy Kosinski, committed suicide at the age of 57 in 1991. Recognizing that "Being There" is the last great film from these men, makes it even more special. It is truly a film that will live on for ages; the kind that future generations of movie lovers will delight in interpretating it's numerous meanings. "Being There" is an endlessly fascinating film, one of the best comedy dramas of all time. Or to personally, sum up the way I feel about the film , I think I'll use Chance's simple, oft-repeated phrase: "I Like to Watch."
The beautiful, thought-provoking final moments of "Being There," one of the best film endings of all time:
The first "forgotten classic" is Hal Ashby's 1979 masterpiece "Being There," one of the most profoundly intelligent, subtly hilarious comedies of all time. Despite the fact that the film recevied almost unanimous rave reviews, and several Oscar Nomations upon its original release, it unfortunately has slipped under the radar in recent years.
The film stars Peter Sellers, in one of his last and greatest performances, as Chance--a mentally deficient gardner and avid television watcher. When the owner of the mansion where he takes residence dies, Chance must finally make his mark on the harsh real world. The only problem is that Chance has never taken a step outside of the house, and everything he knows about the world he's learned from television. After attempting (and failing) to make sense of the world around him (such as a group of young hoodlums pulling a knife on the delusional Chance, who then frantically clicks his remote control, desperate to change the channel), he gets accidentally hit by a car. The owner is Eve (Shirley Maclaine), the wife of dying billionaire Benjaim Rand. The first misinterpretation Chance experiences occurs when Eve mistakess him stating his name, "Chance the Gardner," as the distinguished sounding "Chauncey Gardiner." He also notes on his first car ride, "this is like television, only you can see much further." As Chance recuperates at the Rand mansion, he forms a quick connection with old Ben, who views him as a confidante, and believes him to be a lonely, soft-spoken businessman like himself. Despite the fact that Chauncey speaks in simple, basic langugae most of which deals with gardening, those around him mistake him for making profound profundities and metaphors, due to his careful enunciation and impeccable wardrobe. While this sounds like a one-joke premise, it takes only a few minutes before the viewer realizes that with its slow, methodical pace and timeless witty, understated sense of humor, "Being There" is no dumb, broad comedy. It is later revealed that Ben is in fact an advisor to the US President (Jack Warden), who pays a visit to Ben when Chance is present. Chance speaks his mind about literally the "changing seasons," but the two men misunderstand his simple observation, and think he's discussing the ever-changing nature of the economy. The President appears on national TV talking about what he believes to be a gardening metaphor, and Chance becomes a political celebrity!
"Being There" is more relevant now than it was upon its original release. Our culture has become even more TV-obsessed since the 1970's, and with all the specialized channels that have risen since that time, it's not hard to imagine a real-life man who could gain all his knowledge of the world from the boob tube. Chance is a blank slate, who becomes famous by people misinterpreting his simple statments to being more meaningful than they really are; everyone's projecting on to Chance what they want to hear. People are always searching for someone or something that gives them hope and reveal to them why life is important (another one of the film's subtexts is religion). In the film, it just so happens to be in the vessel of a mentally retarded gardener. The film is also politically relevant as well. Chance's ambiguous garden metaphors are not that disimiilar from the vague statements concerning the Iraq war spoken by our current president.
The performances of the film are flawless. Peter Sellers has the trickiest role to play; one false move by making the character broad or over-the-top would have ruined the film. Sellers is extremely low-key throughout, consistently using the same monotone voice, and displaying the simple, warmhearted smile that the Rands fall in love with. By the end of the move, the audience too genuinely cares about Chance. The other great performance belongs to Melvyn Douglas as Ben Rand, who received an Oscar for his role. Instead of playing the slowly dying billionaire as a self-pitying"woe is me" cliche, Douglas brings a wise, tough, low-key approach to Ben. Over the course of the film, thanks to Chance's pleasant, relaxed demeanor, Ben learns to accept his impending death. He tells his doctor that Chance has made "the thought of dying much easier."
The most talked element of "Being There" is the unexpected, fantastical ending. It brings to light numerous questions of who Chance really is: a Christ figure? An alien put on Earth for some grand purpose? The possibilites are endless. It's a perfect, melancholy ending to a beautiful film.
Perhaps the most bittersweet aspect of watching "Being There" is the fact that all of the principals involved in the film died within 12 years after the release of the picture. The 54-year-old Sellars died less than a year after the movie came out in 1979, and the 80-year-old Douglas, a year later. The visionary director, Hal Ashby, succumbed to cancer in 1988 at the age of 59, and the novelist and screenwriter of the film, Jerzy Kosinski, committed suicide at the age of 57 in 1991. Recognizing that "Being There" is the last great film from these men, makes it even more special. It is truly a film that will live on for ages; the kind that future generations of movie lovers will delight in interpretating it's numerous meanings. "Being There" is an endlessly fascinating film, one of the best comedy dramas of all time. Or to personally, sum up the way I feel about the film , I think I'll use Chance's simple, oft-repeated phrase: "I Like to Watch."
The beautiful, thought-provoking final moments of "Being There," one of the best film endings of all time:
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