Being There

Anyone ever seen this one? From a Jerzy Kosinski book. Peter Sellers as Chance, a simple minded middle aged man who has worked as a gardener for a wealthy man in Washington, D.C. His only contact with the outside world has been via radio and T.V. When the old man dies, Chance is forced into the real world. He’s neat, well mannered and well dressed but illiterate and a total stranger in a strange land. Through a traffic accident with a wealthy man’s younger wife, he’s invited into their home and taken under the old man’s wing. Everything he says is without pretension or guile, but all the wealthy and powerful people he comes into contact with mistake his simple statements for something deep and insightful. It’s sad sometimes but often very funny to see these people make their foolish assumptions. If you have seen it, what are your thoughts on the final scene?