The plot of Being There centers on Chance, a simple-minded gardener who, having spent his entire life isolated in a wealthy employer's Washington, D.C., townhouse and educated solely by television, is suddenly thrust into the outside world where his naive observations are profoundly misinterpreted.
The Journey of Chance the Gardener
The narrative unfolds as Chance (portrayed by Peter Sellers), a man of extreme simplicity and limited worldly experience, finds his sheltered existence abruptly ended. When his affluent employer passes away, Chance is forced to vacate the only home he has ever known. With no knowledge of the world beyond the garden and his television screen, he begins to wander the streets of Washington, D.C.
A Fortuitous Encounter
During his aimless wandering, Chance has a chance encounter with Ben Rand (played by Melvyn Douglas), a powerful and wealthy business mogul. Due to Chance's impeccable attire (leftover from his employer) and his calm, albeit vacuous, demeanor, Rand immediately assumes him to be a refined, upper-class gentleman. He even gives Chance a new name, "Chauncey Gardiner," a slight mispronunciation of "Chance the gardener," which Chance, in his simplicity, accepts without correction.
Rise to High Society
This mistaken identity ushers Chance into the exclusive world of high society. He is brought into Rand's household, where he meets Rand's wife, Eve (Shirley MacLaine), and becomes a fixture in their elite social circle.
- Interpreting Simplicity: Because his entire understanding of the world comes from television, Chance's responses to questions are often literal observations about gardening or simple, TV-inspired phrases.
- Profound Misinterpretations: However, the highly intellectual and often self-important figures of high society, including politicians, economists, and media personalities, interpret his literal gardening analogies as deep metaphors for economic trends, political strategy, or profound philosophical wisdom. For example, his comment, "As long as the roots are not frozen, the tree will grow," is seen as a groundbreaking insight into the economy.
- Media Attention: His seemingly profound, yet utterly simple, remarks quickly make him the talk of the town. He gains widespread media attention, appearing on television shows and being quoted by influential figures.
Chance's remarkable rise in influence is a testament to society's willingness to project meaning onto an unassuming individual, ultimately satirizing the superficiality and self-deception of the powerful elite. He remains completely unaware of the impact he is having, continuing to live solely within his own literal and television-informed reality.
The film serves as a poignant satire on the nature of perception, the media's influence, and the arbitrary definitions of intelligence and success in modern society.
For more details on the film, you can visit its IMDb page.
