MovieChat Forums > Being There (1980) Discussion > Chance's origin

Chance's origin

posted 8 years ago by Flickfan-3
7 replies | jump to latest

I saw this movie when it came out and loved it...
Tonite I caught it surfing cable and started watching it again.

Has anyone discussed or considered the idea that the "old man" who owned the house where Chance worked, where he is discovered when the old man dies is the retarded son of the old man? Kept in seclusion all his life because of the embarrassment that having a child with that condition created in early part of the century?
The Kennedy family had same reaction to hiding Rosemary away, especially after her lobotomy went so wrong...
I haven't seen much about where Chance did come from...obviously he couldn't have worked as a gardener as a child so what purpose would he have had for the old man when he was an infant??

"That's the beauty of argument, Joey...if you argue correctly, you are never wrong..."

[–] Edward_de_Vere 8 years ago

I also always assumed that Chance was the old man's son. It wasn't that unusual to keep mentally retarded or mentally ill children hidden away from the world back in the day.

It's also implied that while the old man felt enough responsibility towards Chance to have him cared for at home instead of institutionalized, he never treated Chance like a son. When the lawyer asks Chance whether the deceased is a relative, Chance pauses and says "I don't think so" rather than "yes" or "no." Now, granted, Chance didn't know or understand much of anything, but even he would have grasped the concept of father/son if he had been told about it, and to speculate about it if he hadn't.

[–] Flickfan-3 8 years ago

Yes--my assessment as well...
I haven't read the novel so don't know if there is more precise info there but the old man was not the type of person to take in a foundling and allow him to try on his clothes w/o some relationship aspect I would think...
Maybe illegitimate child...maybe had relationship w/earlier version of a housekeeper who died at childbirth...

And difficult to believe that the lawyer who wanted him to sign the release didn't recognize him from all news reports and come forward to get his own 5 min of fame...he obviously knew Chance the gardener and Chauncy Gardner were the same person...
He was wearing the same suit for gosh sakes...the housekeeper recognized him right off...

"That's the beauty of argument, Joey...if you argue correctly, you are never wrong..."

[–] eelb 8 years ago

The implication was that the attorney believed he was being played by Chauncey when they first met. This is evident in his discussion with the female attorney, when he states he "was played for a fool" and "any chance of a political career is over". He believes Chauncey is some sort of operative between the "Old Man", Ben Rand, and the government. The Doctor reinforces this in the arranged meeting with the attorney, when he senses the attorney's suspicions that Chauncey is an important person. The Doctor just plays along, and tells the attorney to "not speak of this to anyone".

It's obvious the attorney thinks it would be to his detriment to go to the media concerning his encounter with Chauncey. However, the film leaves the impression that the attorney is curious, and would like to learn more. The film doesn't develop this subplot any further. The meeting with the doctor is the attorney's final scene.

[–] seamas-85553 7 years ago

Another clue is how well the old man's suit fits him, suggesting he inherited his physique.

[–] [deleted] a year ago

Y'all just gonna ignore his water walking ability? Dude was obviously INSERTED in reality.

[–] xanthas (3215) 4 months ago

I'm guessing that the "old man" (or a family member) fathered a child with (i.e., raped) a developmentally disabled woman.

[–] WarrenPeace (2267) 2 months ago

He was not retarded.

I think he was just uneducated, super naive and innocent with no life experience outside the house.

I would rather not know or speculate on his origins.

He was just always being there.