Being There is the acclaimed 1979 dramedy from legendary director Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, Coming Home, The Last Detail), that was a pet project of its iconic star for years. Chance (Peter Sellers, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) is a mentally challenged gardener who has not stepped out of his master's house for decades. His only exposure to the outside world has been through television. When his master dies the simpleton is given eviction notice. He leaves the house and starts walking around town only to be involved in a minor car accident that brings him as a guest to the house of Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine) and her dying millionaire husband. He impresses the husband and, in turn, the US President, as a deep thinking, calm and very important man. When the President quotes him in a speech, he becomes a nationally known figure.moreless