Search - Being There on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Humor Movie Release: 1979 DVD Release: 04/03/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 36 Genres: Comedy, Satire, Political Satire See Also: Being There [Deluxe Edition] [Widescreen], Being There [Deluxe Edition] [Widescreen] [Blu-ray]

Having lived his life as the gardener on a millionaire's estate, Chance (Peter Sellers) knows of the real world only what he has seen on TV. When his benefactor dies, Chance walks aimlessly into the streets of Washington D.C., where he is struck by a car owned by wealthy Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine). Identifying himself, the confused man mutters "Chance...gardener," which Eve takes to be "Chauncey Gardiner." Eve takes him to her home to convalesce, and because Chance is so well-dressed and well-groomed, and because he speaks in such a cultured tone, everyone in her orbit assumes that "Chauncey Gardiner" must be a man of profound intelligence. No matter what he says, it is interpreted as a pearl of wisdom and insight. He rises to the top of Washington society, where his simplistic responses to the most difficult questions (responses usually related to his gardening experience) are highly prized by the town's movers and shakers. In fact, there is serious consideration given to running Chance as a presidential candidate. Both a modern fable and a political satire, Being There was based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski and costars Melvyn Douglas, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Eve's aging power-broker husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Sellers - Chance the Gardener
Shirley MacLaine - Eve Rand
Melvyn Douglas - Benjamin Rand
Jack Warden - President Bobby
Richard Basehart - Vladimir Skrapinov
Richard Dysart - Dr. Robert Allenby

A lovely swan song to star Peter Sellers, the fable Being There has aged very well and looks better than ever on this Warner DVD release. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (Fly Away Home, The Natural), the movie is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio with a pristine anamorphic widescreen transfer. The Dolby Digital audio track is in the original Mono and is bright and well-balanced. The only extras are talent files and the theatrical trailer. There may have been an initial pan and scan-only DVD release of the movie, but this widescreen edition is the one that is widely available. ~ Nick Dedina, All Movie Guide