Being There Review

1) Did you learn anything from the movie Being There? If you did, what was it?

• I learned something from Being There; I learned to not be so serious, and to try grow an imagination, like Chauncy’s. I’m not saying that he’s a person I want to be, but the quality of being laid back when needed is very important.

2) What is the message of the movie? Do you agree or disagree with it?

• The message of the movie is that everything is not as it seems… The final scene left the viewer reeling because it was unexpected and unrealistic.

3) Was there something you didn't understand about the film? What was that?

• One thing that I didn’t understand was the final scene.. the movie was semi-realistic before it…

4) What did you like best about the movie? Why?

• The thing I liked the most about the movie was the ending scene. While the other parts of the movie were partially comedic and straightforward, that final scene caught me off guard and made me think, especially with the voiceover overlaying the scene. I also liked Louise’s sporadic remarks about Chauncy.

5) What did you like least about the movie? Why?

• The thing I liked the least about the movie were the sexual subplots. They were completely unnecessary, and they just made the movie uncomfortable to watch. The president and his marriage problems could have been cut out completely, and same with the scene with Chauncy watching TV while Eve comes onto him. It has already been established that he doesn’t care for or understand real life relationships, and that scene was completely unneeded. Was it added for an adult joke? We may never know.

6) Who was your least favorite character? Why?

• My least favorite character was probably the president, and the lawyers. They could have been cut out completely to get the main point across. 

7) What is the tone (mood) of the story? 

• The tone of the story was partially comedic, but mostly melancholic. By the end, it was clear that the movie was not entirely a comedy, but a movie intended to make one think.

8) How does the tone help guide the viewers into an sympathetic reaction to the story? 

• This tone helps guide viewers into feeling sympathetic by the end of the story by

9) How is the character of "Chauncy Gardener" introduced? What does this tell us (foreshadowing) about what will happen in the story?

• The character of “Chancy Gardener” was introduced by showing him getting out of bed and getting ready for the day, all while watching TV. By the beginning of this sequence one would think that he is a normal man, but by the end one can tell that something is off about him. He watches TV when doing everything, and he never talks. He also doesn’t react very much to the Old Man’s death. This sequence foreshadows that he would be addicted to TV later in the story, and that he would later make friends in the story because in this sequence he had none.

10) What comment is the director trying to make about the culture of the characters in the story?

• The comment that the director is trying to make about the characters’ culture is that it’s very different from the normal person’s culture. These rich people have huge mansions, many courses of dinner, get doctors and medical treatment in their own home, etc. The gap in their lifestyles is very large. Their problems (besides death) seem very small in comparison to the viewer’s. Also, these rich white people have a say in the government due to their wealth, in contrast to the average viewer.

11) The personal qualities of the protagonist (Chauncy G.) are often a part of the lesson to be learned in a film. What are these qualities? 

• Chauncy G.’s qualities would include childish, inattentive, and one-track minded. He always stops to smell (or care for) the roses, and only talks in gardening terms and simple English. He doesn’t pay attention to others when he’s watching TV (For instance, he didn’t pay any attention to Eve in multiple scenes). He is also very curious, as he wants to try whatever he sees on TV (I.E. Kissing with Eve, doing a handstand, shaking the lawyers’ hands), but that may branch off of being child-like. One of the multiple lessons learned in the film is to be more like Chauncy, in that he isn’t all that serious, and that he cares for the plants and people around him deeply.

12) Was there anything in the movie that you can relate to our current or recent times? Explain.

• In the film, there are old, white men attempting (futilely) to keep the government and the American people in control. They turn to Chauncy (who is not-so-obviously not-so-intelligent). I can relate this to right now, because the exact same thing is happening (except for Chauncy’s existence of course… oh, wait.) There is still a major gap between the rich and the poor in modern times

13) What were you thinking as you finished watching the film?

• I was very confused. The film was semi-realistic up to the final scene, but then he starts walking on water? At first, I was rationalizing it (Oh, he was walking on rocks), but now I interpret the scene as being entirely imaginary.. Chauncy was probably knee deep in pond water, but in his imagination he could have been walking on the water.

14) Would you recommend this movie to a friend? Explain your reasons.

• I would not recommend this movie to a friend, because it was a little too boring. A few years ago, I showed my friends the Truman Show and they fell asleep, so I don’t think they’d make it through this one. It’s good at times, but there are too many long increments in which there is only conversation

15) What do you think the title of the film, "Being There" refers to?

• I think that the title of the film refers to being in the moment, in the curious state of mind. Chauncy is always in this state of mind. He is easily distractible but curious, as mentioned before. More people should be like Chauncy in that he’s not really serious, but he’s caring and he wants to learn and try out new things.

3/5