Identity Thief (2013)

Mild-mannered businessman Sandy Patterson travels from Denver to Miami to confront the deceptively harmless-looking woman who has been living it up after stealing Sandy's identity.

Director:

Seth Gordon

Writers:

Craig Mazin (screenplay), Jerry Eeten (story),

Stars:

Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Amanda Peet

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Bateman	...	Sandy Patterson
Melissa McCarthy	...	Diana
Jon Favreau	...	Harold Cornish
Amanda Peet	...	Trish Patterson
T.I.	...	Julian
Genesis Rodriguez	...	Marisol
Morris Chestnut	...	Detective Reilly
John Cho	...	Daniel Casey
Robert Patrick	...	Skiptracer
Eric Stonestreet	...	Big Chuck
Jonathan Banks	...	Paul
Ryan Gaul	...	Bartender
Steve Mallory	...	Party Guy
Tyler Nilson	...	Party Guy
Steve Little	...	Party Guy's Buddy

Storyline

Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) gets a nice call confirming his name and other identifying information. The next thing he knows, a spa in Florida is reminding him of his appointment, and his credit cards are maxed out. With his identity stolen, Sandy leaves his wife, kids and job to literally bring the thief to justice in Colorado. But keeping tabs on the other Sandy (Melissa McCarthy) and run-ins with bounty hunters, is harder than he was expecting, and ultimately the cross-country trip is going to find both Sandys learning life tips from one another.

---

Plot Keywords:

sociopath | f word | blockbuster | restaurant | fat woman | 

---

Taglines:

She's having the time of his life

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [br] Universal [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

ID Theft

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$34,551,025 (USA) (8 February 2013)

Gross:

$133,989,140 (USA) (17 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aggregate Films, DumbDumb, Stuber Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Every car they took, except for the original rental car, has a crushed can of Red Bull on the dash.

---

Goofs

When Sandy stops for gas in Denver, and finds his credit cards declined, the gas station pumps have three choices of octane: 87, 89, and 92. Since Denver is at an altitude of 5280 feet (Mile High), the octane choices of all local gas stations are 85, 87, and 91 octane.

---

Quotes

Sandy Patterson: Do you know what a sociopath is?
Diana: Do they like ribs?

---

Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"Bad Girls"
(uncredited)
Written by Maya Arulpragasam, Nate Hills & Marcella Araica
Performed by Maya Arulpragasam

User Reviews

Formulaic road trip comedy, but the actors make the jokes funny

As the cartoon-ish posters tell us, Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) is a sucker. He just gave his personal identification information to a stranger over the phone. Sandy Patterson (Melissa McCarthy) is the "Identity Thief". After getting arrested and almost getting fired from his job, the real Sandy Patterson is determined to get his identity back. A stupid but convenient police procedural sets Sandy off across the country to bring the criminal to justice.

It's the type of film where critics and audiences are at odds. Critics think it's one of the worst comedies ever made, audiences don't particularly like it all that much either, but are paying to see it in theatres in droves. Go figure. Well, I liked it. It has its fair share of problems, but it can make you laugh, simply and effectively.

The key to comedy is timing. Bateman is a good comedic actor and he has great comedic timing. His lines are funny enough and we are able to laugh at his misfortunes because we know good will have to come to him eventually. The film itself also has good timing. A handful of well- timed edits had me screaming, laughing and crying in a ball as a snake squirmed its way up Sandy's pants. The scene that followed handled an animal joke better than most similar comedies do.

Say what you will about Melissa McCarthy, but she's a good actress based solely on the fact that every character she has played is completely different than any she has played before. "Sandy"/Diana is not Molly, not the filthy Megan, not the scattered Sookie and not any of the darker characters that she played in a few dramas. Diana has no friends (but can buy some using Sandy's money) because she's extreme in her actions. But that's where comedy lies, in the extreme.

"Identity Thief" does take the road trip comedy angle and makes it fairly formulaic with the various obstacles, but that's also what makes it likable. Sandy is likable, Diana is over-the-top but that's what makes the comedy work. The film, though, is a "soft R", meaning the jokes are tame and silly not overly crude or crass. Considering how much audiences love the R-rated comedy, that's apparently the problem with this movie. It just wasn't raunchy enough for them. Well, I can like my comedies with a few less swear words and no nudity, so I liked it.