48. Being There (1979)
Full Cast And Crew5 Sep 2019

48. Being There (1979)

Middle-aged, simple-minded Chance lives in the townhouse of a wealthy old man in Washington, D.C.. He has spent his whole life tending the garden and has never left the property. Other than gardening, his knowledge is derived entirely from what he sees on television. When his benefactor dies, Chance naively tells the lawyers that he has no claim against the estate and is ordered to move out.

Chance wanders aimlessly, discovering the outside world for the first time. Passing by a TV shop, he sees himself captured by a camera in the shop window. Entranced, he steps backward off the sidewalk and is struck by a chauffeured car owned by elderly business mogul Ben Rand. In the car is Rand's much younger wife Eve, who mishears "Chance, the gardener" in reply to the question who he is, as "Chauncey Gardiner."

Eve brings Chance to their home to recover. He is wearing expensive tailored clothes from the 1920s and 1930s, which his benefactor had allowed him to take from the attic, and his manners are old-fashioned and courtly. When Ben Rand meets him, he takes "Chauncey" for an upper-class, highly-educated businessman who has fallen on hard times. Rand admires him, finding him direct, wise and insightful.

Rand is also a confidant and advisor to the President of the United States, whom he introduces to "Chauncey." In a discussion about the economy, Chance takes his cue from the words "stimulate growth" and talks about the changing seasons of the garden. The President misinterprets this as optimistic political advice and quotes “Chauncey Gardiner” in a speech. Chance now rises to national prominence, attends important dinners, develops a close connection with the Soviet ambassador, and appears on a television talk show during which his detailed advice about what a serious gardener should do is misunderstood as his opinion on what would be his presidential policy.

Though he has now risen to the top of Washington society, the Secret Service and some 16 other agencies are unable to find any background information on him. During this time Rand's physician, Dr. Allenby, becomes increasingly suspicious that Chance is not a wise political expert and that the mystery of his identity may have a more mundane explanation. Dr. Allenby considers telling Rand this, but realizing how happy Chance is making him in his final days keeps him silent.

The dying Rand encourages Eve to become close to "Chauncey." She is already attracted to him and makes a sexual advance. Chance has no interest in or knowledge of sex, but mimics a kissing scene from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair, which happens to be showing on the TV. When the scene ends, Chauncey stops suddenly and Eve is confused. She asks what he likes, meaning sexually; he replies "I like to watch," meaning television. She is momentarily taken aback, but decides she is willing to masturbate for his voyeuristic pleasure, thereby not noticing that he has turned back to the TV and is now imitating a yoga exercise on a different channel.

Chance is present at Rand's death and shows genuine sadness at his passing. Questioned by Dr Allenby, he admits that he "loves Eve very much" and also that he is just a gardener. When he leaves to inform Eve of Ben's death, Allenby says to himself, "I understand," but interpretation of that is left to the viewer.

While the President delivers a speech at Rand's funeral, the pallbearers hold a whispered discussion over potential replacements for the President in the next term of office and unanimously agree on Chauncey Gardiner as successor. Oblivious to all this, Chance wanders off through Rand's wintry estate. He straightens out a pine sapling flattened by a fallen branch, then walks across the surface of a lake. He pauses, dips his umbrella deep into the water under his feet (confirming for the viewer that it is not just a skim of water on the ground), then continues on, while the President is heard quoting Rand: "Life is a state of mind."

Avsnitt(250)

125. If You're New to the Podcast, Start Here

125. If You're New to the Podcast, Start Here

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124. Brian DePalma, John Travolta, Sissy Spacek & 'Carrie' (1976)

124. Brian DePalma, John Travolta, Sissy Spacek & 'Carrie' (1976)

Thrilled to be joined by 3-time FCAC guest star, actor/writer/director Lee Wilkof and to delve into the making of Brian De Palma's most enduring and affecting film, 'Carrie', starring Sissy Spacek in a role she fought for, John Travolta in his first substantial film role just after being cast in 'Welcome Back, Kotter', and the future first ex-Mrs. Brian De Palma, Nancy Allen, who was about to give up on film acting when a casting director spotter her in the unlikeliest of places. Details in the episode. Lee and I talk about how empathetic and heart-rending Sissy Spacek's performance is, about Piper Laurie's casting after a 16-year absence from acting, the three key set pieces: the shower scene, the prom scene, and the Piper Laurie/Carrie death scene and coda.  Lee's first appearance on the pod discussing his long career is here. Lee's 2nd appearance, where he and I discuss the brilliant Coen Brothers film Fargo is here. If you're an actor or film/tv/entertainment person you will definitely see yourself somewhere in Lee's feature directorial debut, No Pay, Nudity. It stars Gabriel Byrne, Frances Conroy, and Nathan Lane.

21 Juni 20221h 39min

123. Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds & John Boorman's 'Deliverance' (1972)

123. Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds & John Boorman's 'Deliverance' (1972)

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14 Juni 20221h 14min

122. Tom Cruise Saves Summer: 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)

122. Tom Cruise Saves Summer: 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)

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121. The Muppet Show (1976)

121. The Muppet Show (1976)

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120. Battlestar Galactica (1978 & 1980)

120. Battlestar Galactica (1978 & 1980)

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12 Maj 20221h 25min

119. Why You Should Be Watching 'Severance'...

119. Why You Should Be Watching 'Severance'...

Dan Erickson's Apple+ thriller series "Severance" is, to my mind, the best sci-fi TV series we've gotten since "Black Mirror".  So why isn't it getting quite as much attention as that series deservedly did?  In this episode, I briefly discuss some of the aspects that I think make "Severance" so uniquely good, particularly the very strong casting, idiosyncratic production design, thoughtful world-building, wicked sense of humor, and praise-worthy pacing and creative decision-making.  Then a brief discussion of some reasons why this series hasn't struck quite the same social media nerve endings as more buzzed-about (but perhaps also more disposable) series like "Euphoria" or "Yellowjackets").  This ties in nicely with the recent collective gasp over Netflix dropping a significant tranche of subscribers and our entry to What Comes Next for the Golden Age of Streamers. Waffle parties for everyone!

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118. The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now & Full Metal Jacket

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26 Apr 20221h 20min

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