Being There

:This article is for the 1971 book and 1979 movie. For the 1996 album by the band Wilco, see Being There (album).

Synopsis

Being There depicts the story of a gardener named Chance/Chauncey Gardiner who grew up living as an employee on the estate of a wealthy man in Washington, D.C. with virtually no contact with the outside world and no social interaction. Apart from his limited relationship with Louise, the maid, Chance's cultural and social education is derived entirely from what he watches on the televisions provided by his employer.

Related Topics:
Chauncey Gardiner - Washington, D.C. - Televisions

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When his employer dies, Chance is forced to leave his sheltered existence in the house and discover the world outside for himself. His simplistic, deliberative speaking style is interpreted by those he encounters as a sign of deep wisdom, and after a car accident which leads him into the company of a wealthy and powerful businessman, Chance quickly rises to national public prominence.

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Though well-dressed and appearing capable of deep thoughts, Chance is mentally limited, stunted by his sheltered upbringing.

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The people he meets almost all see qualities in him that are not there, but instead reflect qualities and needs of their own. Kosiński uses this to satirize our media-driven society in a merciless yet cunningly subtle way.

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Most memorable scenes in the film version include Chance being confronted early on by a street gang, and pulling out his TV remote control to "change the channel" in self-defense, then being surprised when it doesn't work; repeating several times to important people the famous "All is well...and all will be well...in the garden," and having that interpreted as an uplifting economic and political comment; MacLaine's character writhing in long-suppressed sexual pleasure on a bear rug while Chance obliviously channel-surfs; and in the final scene, walking across the surface of a lake because his attention is not caught by the funeral that's going on, as the most important movers and shakers in the USA discuss running him for President.

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That final scene continues to generate discussion and controversy. Is there a prosaic explanation, such as hidden stepping-stones? Was Chance in fact a supernatural being, or a purely symbolic abstraction, or did he truly possess some special grace, given his simple innocence and simply being present to each moment without filters and ideas? In his 2001 book The Great Movies, Roger Ebert argues for the latter interpretation.

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