BEING THERE (1979)

Directed by: Hal Ashby
Written by: Jerry Kosinski
Studio: United Artists
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas
Rated: PG

About the film:
A simple middle-aged gardener, raised in a cloistered existence for all of his life, is abruptly thrust into a world he has never known. The only knowledge he has comes from his work in a garden and what he has seen on TV. Despite his innocence (or perhaps because of it), he is soon mistaken for a successful and wise businessman and is courted by high-ranking politicians for his wisdom and advice.

Movie Quote:
“As long as the roots are not severed, all is well, and all will be well in the garden.”
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers) in Being There (1979)

Bible Quote:
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)


Commentary:
Even though Chance does not realize the implications of his words, the analogy that can be drawn from his comment speaks volumes to those who have ears to hear. Jesus Christ, in his parables, often used plant life as a figurative reference to how we, as spiritual beings, should grow and develop.

A plant can only be as healthy as its roots. All the nutriments which cause a plant to grow are received from the earth via its root system. Cut the root and the plant will die. Spiritually, man is no different. The spiritual “garden” of our lives will flourish to the proportion that we keep ourselves rooted and grounded in the truth that can be found in Christ Jesus and the Word of God he taught.

This analogy is vividly illustrated in three of the four gospel records through the parable of the sower and the seed (Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8). Of the places that seed (representing the Word of God) landed, it produced lasting fruit only when received by the good ground (representing those who have a humble heart and receptive mind.)

It is we who receive the seed of God’s Word. It is we who may determine whether that seed offered to us will fall by the wayside, on stony ground, amongst thorns, or in the good ground of our hearts which allow the roots of God’s Word to take hold.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. Why are people so inclined to view Chance as an educated and important man?
2. What is the director and screenwriter trying to say in the film’s closing moments?