Being There is an unusual comedy in that the
protagonist, usually as active as anyone in the story, is a passive adult
(Chance the gardener) with the mind of a child. The story centers around how
he is misunderstood once circumstances thrust him into the world.
NotesThis weakness aside, this is a funny satire about miscommunication, power and television. The concept of the story is brilliant. The use of TV images humorously contrasts the techno-hype of the culture with the gardening simplicity of the man-child, whose every remark gets misinterpreted into profound wisdom by the shallow citizens of the power structure.
But the last half of the second act is a definite weak link in the structure of this story. The comedy turns to sexual expression, funny in their own right as when Eve tries to seduce Chance (at 92 min.), which is another candidate for the closing plot point. But nothing really comes of this, nor of Chance's blank past - the movie just ends with Chance walking on water, the first supernatural moment in the story.
SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting