A film that leaves you feeling great

Being There (Hal Ashby, 1979)

5 reasons to see this film

1. Peter Sellers
2. Hal ashby's beautiful direction
3. The music of the film
4. Melvyn Douglas
5. Shirley maclaine's performance that got her an oscar


This is just a masterpiece and there has been so much said about this film, so i'm going to keep it brief. The reason's why i loved this film so much is because it parallels "Harvey" the Jimmy Stewart film that i also loved. It's just a film about a simpleton that changes so many lives. It's better to live life pleasent then smart. Jimmy Stewart plays the simpleton wonderfully in "Harvey" and so does Sellers in "Being There" but they play them both very differently. Seller's love his T.V and Stewart love his giant rabbit "Harvey".

The thing that most people get angry about is that Sellers was robbed for his oscar. They also say the reason why he didn't get it was because of the credits while showing a blooper of himself stumbling on a line because he's laughing hysterically. In my opinion, that's why he should have gotten the oscar. I love that ending, it just makes me smile. It's also breath taking to see Sellers go in and out of his character so easily, one second he's laughing the next he's back as the gardener. It just truely shows Sellers comedy genius and great acting.

The film is just beautiful, great story, great acting, great direction, great film. I just can't stop loving the end where it has it's own version of a "walking into the sunset" type of scene. The scene also goes hand in hand with the ending to "Harvey" and how that film has a "walking into the sunset" scene. It's just a perfect ending, cliched but when it's done in such a beautiful way it's amazing. I just love those endings that make you feel that movies have a type of magic on them. That's also the reason why i love the ending's to both "City lights" and "Manhattan", they both end the same way, with a very touching smile on both the main characters faces. Woody Allen's film "Manhattan" just happens to end with the smile then a little montage of manhattan which kind of feels that Allen loved the ending to City Lights but felt that he couldn't measure up to it so he hid it in the scenery of Manhattan but i believe Allen did a perfect job. Just Beautiful films, Classic Cinema and "Being There" falls into this category.

Grade A+