Getting there is half the fun; being there is all of it!
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.
Being There (1979) is a comedy and drama film directed by Hal Ashby, released on December 19, 1979 with a runtime of 2h 10m. It stars Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas and Jack Warden. Viewers rate it 7.6 out of 10 across 1,158 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Being There before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Being There.
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Trailer
Clip
Featurette
Featurette
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Peter Sellers
as Chance
Shirley MacLaine
as Eve Rand
Melvyn Douglas
as Benjamin Rand
Jack Warden
as President 'Bobby'
Richard Dysart
as Dr. Robert Allenby
Richard Basehart
as Vladimir Skrapinov
Ruth Attaway
as Louise
David Clennon
as Thomas Franklin
Fran Brill
as Sally Hayes
Denise DuBarry
as Johanna Franklin
Alice Hirson
as First Lady
Jerome Hellman
as Gary Burns
Directed by Hal Ashby, written by Jerzy Kosiński and Jerzy Kosiński, produced by Andrew Braunsberg and Charles Mulvehill.
Average viewer score of 7.6/10 from 1,158 ratings.
**Peter Sellers' big farewell in a film that highlights his more chivalrous side.** There are films that, even though they're good, cannot be consensual, and this is one of them. It's a film that conquers admirers as easily as it accumulates people who didn't understand it or didn't like it for whatever reason. I confess that I liked it, but I can understand both sides. The film has qualities, but it also presents…
Reviewed on November 22, 2023
When the "Old Man" who has provided "Chauncey" (Peter Sellers) with an home for most of his life dies, this erstwhile gardener finds himself homeless. Dressed in his finest handed-down suit and carrying his home in his suitcase, he emerges into the outside world without a clue. He has no money; he has nowhere to say, nothing to eat - he has no friends. He's like a full-sized infant whose only exposure to reality…
Reviewed on April 30, 2026
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Being There (1979) is available to stream on Howdy Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and Spectrum On Demand. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Being There (1979) includes Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden and Richard Dysart. The film was directed by Hal Ashby. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Being There was released on December 19, 1979 and runs for 2h 10m.
Being There (1979) holds an average rating of 7.6 out of 10 from 1,158 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Being There trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
