X
- 1979
- PG
- 2 h 10 m
- 1979
- PG
- 2 h 10 m
Summary A simple, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful businessman and an insider in Washington politics.
Directed By: Hal Ashby
Written By: Jerzy Kosinski, Robert C. Jones
- 1979
- PG
- 2 h 10 m
- 1979
- PG
- 2 h 10 m
Being There
7.6
Where to Watch
Summary A simple, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful businessman and an insider in Washington politics.
Directed By: Hal Ashby
Written By: Jerzy Kosinski, Robert C. Jones
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
83
94% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
83
94% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jerzy Kosinski's modern fable gets a terrific translation to the screen due to his tight screenplay, capable direction by Ashby, and a marvelous performance by Sellers, one unlike any other in his career.
Being There finds humor in the way Sellers becomes a blank screen on which people project their expectations. But it also finds value in his simplicity, which might seem like a lot of New Age hokum if not for Sellers' disarmingly quiet performance.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 24 User Ratings
7.6
79% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
17% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
4% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 24 User Ratings
7.6
79% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
17% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
4% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Being There is a highly unusual and an unusually fine film. A faithful but nonetheless imaginative adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's quirky comic novel, pic marks a significant achievement for director Hal Ashby and represents Peter Sellers' most smashing work since the mid-1960s.
The director, Hal Ashby, has affected a restrained, understated style to match the subtlety and precision of Sellers's performance. No one seems to know what to do with the allegorical undertone of Jerzy Kosinski's script, but as a whole this 1979 film maintains a fine level of wit, sophistication, and insight.
Sellers's performance—as the innocent neuter figure who rises accidentally to political power on the strength of vacant homilies—is remarkable. But Ashby's direction is marred by the same softness that made The Last Detail and Coming Home so morally bland.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
