Peter Sellers' Masterpiece

The Greatest Movie You've Never Seen

"LIFE IS A STATE OF MIND"

in-sight n. the ability to see and understand clearly the inner nature of things.

In 1971, Jerzy Kosinski published the novel Being There. Soon afterwards he received a telegram from its lead character, Chance the Gardener: "Available in my garden or outside of it." A telephone number followed and when Kosinski dialed it Peter Sellers answered.
For years afterwards, Sellers would try to get this film made. "That's me!" he would tell people of the Chance character. He hawked the idea of a film to whomever he could find. Finally, in 1979, with the clout he had gained from the Pink Panther series, he was able to fulfill his dream.
What followed was the culmination of Peter Sellers' career: a masterpiece of double-edged satire on politics and television. But Kosinki's screenplay goes deeper than that. What he and director Hal Ashby expose is a self-serving and self-deceived society. Through the innocence of the Chance character, all the schemes and manipulations of the world are laid bare for what they are: pure folly. For those who hunger for the truths in life, this is a film that will satisfy your appetite.

For a tour with pictures and sound clips of one of the greatest satires ever made,
click on the ticket below.

TOUR
Film Discussion
"Being There" is a film that causes many reactions and thoughts. If you would like to share your opinion or thoughts on what the film means - or simply read others - click below.

Discussion

Also, here are a couple of notes from my my guest book from people with a connection to the film:

Artur Grundy, "Arthur", Mr. Rand's valet, was my Grandfather. He has since passed away (three years ago), but enjoyed his time making this movie and has left many pieces of memorabilia from the movie behind. It's nice to see that "Being There" is on the internet!!!! A lot of people have never heard of the movie.

I'm the guy who played the White House cop in Being There. It was fun to find my name in a Web site. Some trivia notes: No one on the set was allowed to wear green or purple...Seller's considered them unlucky colors and he was living on borrowed time because of his deteriorating heart condition. Peter Seller's once played a ukelele banjo on a Steeleye Span album that I owned. A friend of mine had given me a ukelele banjo, so I brought it down to the location for him to autograph. He signed it, "Turned out nice again...hasn't it?" which was a catch-phrase made popular by an old English music hall singer/comedian named George Formby. Formby played the ukelele banjo. Seller's secretary told me that either Seller's father taught Formby how to play it, or maybe it was Formby's father who taught Seller's father how to play it...I can't remember which.