Being There
“A story of chance.”
Synopsis
A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Original Theatrical TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-09
Top Cast
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Peter Sellers
Chance
Shirley MacLaine
Eve Rand
Melvyn Douglas
Benjamin Rand
Jack Warden
President 'Bobby'
Richard Dysart
Dr. Robert Allenby
Richard Basehart
Vladimir Skrapinov
Ruth Attaway
Louise
David Clennon
Thomas Franklin
Fran Brill
Sally Hayes
Denise DuBarry
Johanna Franklin
Alice Hirson
First Lady
Jerome Hellman
Gary Burns
John Harkins
Sidney Courtney
James Noble
Kaufman
Mitch Kreindel
Dennis Watson
Oteil Burbridge
Lolo
Richard Venture
Wilson
Sam Weisman
Colson
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 19, 1979
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 21, 2017
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
Undisclosed
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$30.2M
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Hal Ashby
- Screenplay & Story
- Jerzy Kosiński
- Original Score
- Johnny Mandel
- Original Title
- Being There
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 10m
- Worldwide Gross
- $30.2M
- Production Studios
- Northstar Media, Lorimar Motion Pictures, BSB, CIP, NatWest Ventures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Hal Ashby
Jerzy Kosiński
Johnny Mandel
Caleb Deschanel
Don Zimmerman
Andrew Braunsberg, Charles Mulvehill, Jack Schwartzman
Department Leadership Roster
Hal Ashby
Director
Jerzy Kosiński
Screenplay
Andrew Braunsberg
Producer
Charles Mulvehill
Producer
Johnny Mandel
Original Music Composer
Caleb Deschanel
Director of Photography
Don Zimmerman
Editor
Michael D. Haller
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Being There.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Being There.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:48 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:12 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:33:14 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Being There
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Being There about?
A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television.
Who directed Being There?
Being There was directed by Hal Ashby.
Who stars in Being There?
The principal cast of Being There includes Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden, Richard Dysart.
When was Being There released and how long is it?
Being There was released in 1979 with a total runtime of 2h 10m.
How much did Being There make at the box office?
Being There grossed $30.2M in worldwide ticket sales.
Who composed the musical score for Being There?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Being There was composed by Johnny Mandel.
Is Being There based on a book or true story?
Being There is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Jerzy Kosiński".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Being There?
Being There holds official age classifications: FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).