Being There - Movie By Hal Ashby

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Being There Hal Ashby, director of Being There, illustrates the life of a simple man who loves to take care of his garden. This man, Chance, grew up without much contact with the outside world or even with other people, and his reality comes from one of his passion, which is television. An assumption is defined as “something taken for granted or accepted as true without proof.”1 An example would be when trying to solve a problem; people just jump to conclusions before even spending time talking about what the issue really is about. Most of our assumptions, in my opinion, are based on beliefs. When you believe strongly about something you will just assume whatever you believe is right about the subject, sometimes not even checking if you are right or wrong. When I first saw Chance, the main character, my first ‘assumption’ of him was that he was probably a well-off man living in a very nice and classy house, but soon after I realised that he was a gardener, living in someone else’s house and only knows the ‘real world’ through what he has seen on TV. This can show that sometimes without realising it we make quick assumptions just on what we first see and hear, not even waiting to see or hear the rest. Until the death of the “Old man”, Chance Gardener lived with him in his house and where a maid would take care of him. During that time he lived isolated from the reality of the outside world. His knowledge comes from the only link he has with the outside world, which comes from the shows and programs he watches. This is why he’s actions are most of the time similar to the ones from the TV because he thinks he is a part of the show, such as the moment when he sees people on TV kiss, he imitates this with Eve, and once the kiss on the TV is over he stops too. The first time Chance meets the president at Ben’s house, is a great example of how assumptions
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