Being There (1979) – Filming Locations
Comedy / Drama · Directed by Hal Ashby · Starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine
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.
Where was Being There filmed?
- Los Angeles, United States, Los Angeles – Chance arrives at the wealthy family's mansion and explores the grand estate and surrounding neighborhood. The affluent Bel Air district provided the film's primary setting for the wealthy Washington, D.C. family's palatial home and grounds, essential to establishing the contrast between Chance's humble origins and his new environment
- Washington, D.C., United States, Washington – Chance is invited to the White House and meets the President in official government settings. Actual Washington, D.C. locations and the iconic White House provide the satirical backdrop for Chance's encounters with political power, reinforcing the film's critique of how superficiality can influence national leadership
- Washington, D.C., United States, Washington – Chance walks through the nation's capital and observes iconic American monuments. The Lincoln Memorial and surrounding monuments serve as symbolic locations emphasizing the contrast between American ideals and the shallow power dynamics Chance unknowingly navigates
- Los Angeles, United States, Los Angeles – Chance wanders the streets after leaving his employer's townhouse, encountering urban life and eventually being hit by a car. Los Angeles street scenes establish Chance's initial displacement in the urban world before his transformation and introduction into high society