Being There

"Being There” is the 1979 film adapted from the novel by Jerzy Kozinski. The movie stars Peter Sellers as a simple-minded man named Chance, who has spent all of his life isolated in a Washington, D.C. townhouse. Chance occupies himself by watching television and tending to the garden. Everything he knows about life has been learned from TV. While watching, he learns small details about interacting with people like shaking hands and verbal expressions. Chance …

…him he could not? This movie seems to satirize America and television by saying that if you look right, speak eloquently and have powerful friends you can go far in society. I think it also is concerned with the blind acceptance of celebrity and that illiteracy, ignorance and a sweet attitude can lead to riches, fame and a glamorous lifestyle. As Chance says at the conclusion of the film, “Life is a state of mind.”