On B List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Being There (1979)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
4/25
4/25:
Forget Forrest Gump; this is the one to see.
Peter Sellers gives the best performance of his career in Being There. He's brilliant. What a hard
role to pull off: the ability to be oblivious in a childlike way yet be taken for a genius. The Oscar went
to Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer. Absolutely not; the Academy
Awards really hate the British. That belonged to Peter Sellers. It's too bad he died not long afterwards at
age 54.
Hal Ashby's magic is obviously there. It's the last masterpiece of his career. What the heck happened to
him afterwards? The answer is drugs. Being There has a great story that's as airtight as it gets. Unlike
Forrest Gump, any questions about the believability of the entire
premise are put to rest; there are no lies or illogical moments. It's just that intelligence can be overrated.
The cast is wonderful. Melvyn Douglas earned the Oscar for the second time in his career. Jack Warden is
funny because, as U.S. President, he knows he automatically lost the upcoming election to Chauncey Gardiner
and won't admit it to his wife. Shirley MacLaine is fine but is rather silly. Then again, F. Scott Fitzgerald
was right when he said, "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me."
All in all, you know Peter Sellers is the greatest when he's able to walk on water at the end of
Being There.