Being There
Being There is a 1979 American satirical comedy-drama film starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, and Melvyn Douglas. Directed by Hal Ashby, it is based on the 1971 novel Being There by Jerzy Kosiński, and adapted for the screen by Kosiński and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. Jack Warden, Richard Dysart, and Richard Basehart are featured in support.
Plot
Middle-aged, simple-minded Chance lives in a wealthy old man's townhouse in Washington, D.C., along with the man's African-American maid Louise, who is kind to Chance. He has spent his whole life tending the garden and never left the property. Other than gardening, his knowledge is derived entirely from television. When the old man dies, his estate lawyers order Chance out.
Awards
More details
| author | Jerzy Kosiński Robert C. Jones |
|---|---|
| award | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review: Top Ten Films |
| contentLocation | Washington, D.C. |
| director | Hal Ashby |
| editor | Don Zimmerman |
| genre | comedy-drama political satire |
| keywords | a blood disease african americans aplastic anemia capture discover first time garden hard times imitate jesus walking on water kiss old man pass president of the united states pudding remote control secret service talk show the thomas crown affair united states secret service video camera walks across the surface of a lake wash |
| musicBy | Johnny Mandel |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| producer | Andrew Braunsberg |
| productionCompany | Lorimar Productions |
| publisher | United Artists |
| recordedAt | North Carolina |
| theme | black comedy |