70's Month - Day16: Being There

Right off the bat, I love this movie. 5 out of 5.

Being There is a 1979 film starring Peter Sellers, Shirley McLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas and Richard Dysart. the film is a bout a simple-minded, naïve, gardener named Chance. When the rich man he works for dies, Chance is forced by some lawyers to move out of the man's estate. The thing is, Chance spent his whole life at that home and everything he knows he learned from watching TV. While wandering about in the city, Chance is hit by a car owned by a wealthy business man named Ben Rand and his wife Eve. After taking Chance back to their home to recover, and mishearing his name Chance the Gardener as "Chauncy Gardiner" it is assumed that he is a well-educated businessman who has just fallen on some hard times. Chance's simple and soft-spoken nature is interperated as wise and insightful, earning him the favor Ben. Further happenstance even leads to Chance giving advice to the President of the United States... I won't give away how the whole thing plays out because, if you've never seen this one, I highly recommend checking it out. It's sweet, funny, even a bit sad at points, and full of solid performances.