Being John Malkovich (1999)

A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of the movie star, John Malkovich.

Director:

Spike Jonze

Writer:

Charlie Kaufman

Stars:

John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 50 wins & 48 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Craig Schwartz
Cameron Diaz	...	Lotte Schwartz
Ned Bellamy	...	Derek Mantini
Eric Weinstein	...	Father at Puppet Show
Madison Lanc	...	Daughter at Puppet Show
Octavia Spencer	...	Woman in Elevator (as Octavia L. Spencer)
Mary Kay Place	...	Floris
Orson Bean	...	Dr. Lester
Catherine Keener	...	Maxine Lund
K.K. Dodds	...	Wendy
Reginald C. Hayes	...	Don (as Reggie Hayes)
Byrne Piven	...	Captain Mertin
Judith Wetzell	...	Tiny Woman
John Malkovich	...	John Horatio Malkovich
Kevin Carroll	...	Cab Driver

Storyline

Puppeteer Craig Schwartz and animal lover and pet store clerk Lotte Schwartz are just going through the motions of their marriage. Despite not being able to earn a living solely through puppeteering, Craig loves his profession as it allows him to inhabit the skin of others. He begins to take the ability to inhabit the skin of others to the next level when he is forced to take a job as a file clerk for the off-kilter LesterCorp, located on the five-foot tall 7½ floor of a Manhattan office building. Behind one of the filing cabinets in his work area, Craig finds a hidden door which he learns is a portal into the mind of John Malkovich, the visit through the portal which lasts fifteen minutes after which the person is spit into a ditch next to the New Jersey Turnpike. Craig is fascinated by the meaning of life associated with this finding. Lotte's trips through the portal make her evaluate her own self. And the confident Maxine Lund, one of Craig's co-workers who he tells about the ...

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Plot Keywords:

portal | puppeteer | office | actor | pet | 

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Taglines:

Ever Wanted To Be Someone Else?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dans la peau de John Malkovich

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£296,282 (UK) (17 March 2000)

Gross:

£1,882,462 (UK) (5 May 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Astralwerks, Gramercy Pictures (I), Propaganda Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the beginning of the film when Craig is trying to guess Maxine's name, one of the names he mumbles is Emily, the name of the child that Maxine gives birth to at the end of the film. The names Craig mumbles is an allusion to Dr. Lester and his group of friends that can exist within other souls.

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Goofs

Just after the first time Lotte falls out of the portal onto the side of the New Jersey Turnpike, a palm tree is visible in the distance over Craig's shoulder.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lotte Schwartz: Craig, honey, it's time for bed.
[fade out and in]
Orrin Hatch the bird: Craig, honey, time to get up, Craig, honey, time to get up, Craig, honey, time to get up, Craig, honey, time to get up,
Craig Schwartz: Lotte...
Lotte Schwartz: I'm sorry. I didn't know Orrin Hatch was out of his cage.

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Crazy Credits

at the end of the cast listing is noted ...and John Malkovich

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Connections

References Nights of Cabiria (1957)

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Soundtracks

"One"
Written by Kono
Performed by Madsaaski Kono
Courtesy of Barbara L. Jordan d/b/a Heavy Hitters

User Reviews

It's my head!!!!

Though I had liked the few Spike Jonze music videos I've seen(Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and the Beastie Boys one), I was hesitant about whether he could make the jump to movies, for, as we know, for every good MTV raised director(David Fincher), there are several bad ones(Michael Bay). And this is truly a concept which could have gone either way. But this is one of the most original, funny, and enjoyable movie experiences I've had this year. Every idea pays off in ways you don't expect, all four main actors do well cast against type, and it's awfully hard to pick who's the best(though I suspect John Malkovich will be remembered at Oscar time), the dialogue is great("Don't stand in the way of my actualization as a man!" may be the best line of the year), and I can't think of another way to describe this except go see it now.