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Being There (Widescreen) | 
| Director: Hal Ashby
Actors: Peter Sellers, Shirley Maclaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard A. Dysart
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: CDN$ 24.98
Buy New: CDN$ 17.94
You Save: CDN$ 7.04 (28%)
New (16) Used (2) from CDN$ 16.96
Rating:  117 reviews
Sales Rank: 1613
Format: Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 2
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.5 x 0.6
MPN: WARD938D
ISBN: 0790757230
UPC: 775744087081
EAN: 9780790757230
ASIN: B000056WRD
Theatrical Release Date: December 19, 1979
Release Date: April 3, 2001
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW - Shipped within 24 hrs via Airmail from the USA - Average 5 to 10 workdays delivery time. Excellent customer service. NEUF - Envoy? par avion des USA sous 24 hrs - Livraison en moyenne de 5 a 10 jours ouvres. Service clientele en francais.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Essential Video
Thanks to an extraordinary, delicately balanced performance by Peter Sellers, IBeing There/I received mixed reviews during its theatrical release in 1979, but has since become a celebrated comedy with a loyal following. It's one of the most unusual black comedies ever made, simply because it stretches a simple premise over 130 minutes of straight-faced, strangely compelling commentary on politics, media, and celebrity in media-savvy America. Adapted by Jerzy Kozinsky from his own novel, the movie's about a simple-minded, middle-aged gardener who, after a lifetime of seclusion and safety in a Washington, D.C. townhouse, gets his first exposure to reality beyond the walls of his sheltered existence. His only reference to the world is through his childlike addiction to television, and when a chance encounter brings him into the inner fold of a dying billionaire (Melvyn Douglas), he suddenly finds himself the toast of Washington's political elite. His simple phrases about gardening are misinterpreted as anything from economic predictions to sage political advice, and under the sharp direction of Hal Ashby, Sellers has the audacity to take this comedic conceit to its logical extreme. IBeing There/I is not for all tastes--especially not for those who don't appreciate comedic subtlety. But as a showcase for the daring genius of Peter Sellers, this is a classic movie in a category all its own. I--Jeff Shannon/I
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| Customer Reviews: Read 112 more reviews...
 Two movies in one! June 23, 2004
William F Santiff (Owings, MD United States)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is really two different movies. Most viewers will watch the DVD up until the credits start, hit the Stop and Eject buttons and will have seen one, admittedly excellent, story.pBUT... those lucky few who tend to watch the credits to the end...will get a mind-snapping shock! For there's one additional scene burried in the credits, a scene that changes the entire meaning of the movie - and will send you back to chapter 1 to watch the entire film all over again.pAnd you will then see the SECOND story.pIt was THIS movie that has led me to sit in theaters until the end of the credits ever since!
I'm very hungry June 22, 2004
Larry A. Hollar (La Junta, CO United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My wife and I tend to quote lines from this wonderful movie, much like I do on the golf course with Caddy Shack lines. As Caddy Shack is to golf, Being There is to life: a delightful comedy but with meaning.
Brilliant and haunting..... June 1, 2004
D. Pawl (Seattle)
This film is like none I have ever seen before. In the past, when I thought of Peter Sellers (who plays lead character Chance the Gardener), my mind automatically went to Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther series. I thought of the bumbling, clumsy and silly detective in hot persuit of the pink panther jewel. What a terrific change of pace! I really got a sense of Peter Sellers' depth as an actor in this brilliant film. Sellers, Melvyn Douglas, and Shirley Maclaine were all strong leads in this story, along with a great supporting cast. pBEING THERE tells the story of Chance, the Gardener, a simple man who spends his entire life gardening in the backyard of his boss' house, until one day the old man passes away. When a couple of journalists come around to find out more about the former master of the house, Chance is the only one there. The house must close, and for the first time the man must make strides into the big, wide world. This world is like nothing he could have ever imagined outside of the house where he worked. One thing that keeps him tranquil and holds his attention is the television. As Chance says, I like to watch. (this line is misinterpreted a few times during the course of the movie.) By chance, Chance meets up with Shirley Maclaine the wife of an elderly billionaire. This is just the beginning of an intriguing series of events where Chance--renamed Chauncey Gardner--the simple man who speaks of plants and their growth (the only real knowledge he has about the world) becomes central as wise sage in one of the most intriguing political ventures. pThis film has moments of laugh-out-loud comedy, and serious elements as well. (The final scene is chilling.....that is all I am going to say......)brCheck it out if you are in the mood for something completely different. In the words of Chauncy, this is definitely a film I like to watch.
Buy it, you'll like it! May 27, 2004
Lionel Phillips (Avenel, NJ USA)
This is one of my favorite movies. I first saw it in the movies years ago. It''s one of those movies you can pick up and watch over and over again. In this era of special effects overkill its great to see a movie that is well written with great charactars.Peter Sellers is great. Shirley MacLain and Jack Warden are also great. As a matter of fact, this movie has no bad performances.brBuy it, you'll like it.
I'm so pleased I was...and could be again April 5, 2004
Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas)
This is both a political satire and a contemporary fable such as Hans Christian Andersen might have written had he lived in the 1970s. It shares much in common with "The Emperor's New Clothes" (1837), except there is no Honest Boy to point out that Chauncy Gardner is not whom he is assumed to be. Actually, Jerzy Kosinski wrote the novel on which this film is based and it was skillfully directed by Hal Ashby. The acting throughout the cast is outstanding. Douglas received an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role, Sellers a nomination for best actor in a leading role. MacLaine is also terrific. Obviously, Eve is devoted to her husband as well as very fond of him but starved for attention and affection when Chauncy appears in her life. She is attracted to him just as everyone else is. (I have already noted that this is a fable.) I should point out, now, that at no time and in no way does Chauncy consciously and deliberately attempt to deceive anyone. Yes, he really is THAT dim. If contrasted with him, Forrest Gump would seem like Gore Vidal. Credit Ashby and Sellers for establishing and then sustaining precisely the right tone. The satire has an edge throughout the film but is nicely balanced with gentle humor and tender moments. As someone immortal once said, "All's well that ends well." Indeed, I cannot imagine a more appropriate final scene for Being There.
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