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Being There, an incredibly clever satire in an era where slapstick parodies were more the norm, is a tale promoting the simplicity of life and decrying the problems we manifest for ourselves, almost like a softer, more grounded Forrest Gump. Peter Sellers is perfect as Chance, a blissfully dimwitted man whose words offer both universal metaphors to those unaware of his background yet also meaningless statements of fact to the omniscient audience.
What this film excels in is offering an observation on the superficiality of the American public, as we yearn for substance hidden in all that we do and are easily fooled by confidence and directness masquerading as depth and intelligence. On top of that, it’s flat out hilarious, especially when it rears its critiques towards the ineptitude and frustration of the Big Brother government who can’t seem to wrap their heads around a man that simply does not subscribe to their society.
What could’ve easily been a condescending and cynical take on our modern worldview instead blossoms into a tranquil appreciation for the natural beauty of the human experience. There’s a cute allegory in here about Eve falling in love with a gardener, and though the final scene is obviously reminiscent of another biblical figure, I’m more partial to believing this film’s focus is on the question, would we actually fall into the water, if we did not understand that we could?
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