Being There

Being There has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on HBO Max. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 1,136 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Peter Sellers — stay for everyone else around them. Put it on tonight on HBO Max and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Being There is worth clearing space for. The jokes in Being There land because the characters underneath them are worth caring 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. Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1979. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Being There holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Being There. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Peter Sellers's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.