Being John Malkovich (1999)

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

Director:

Spike Jonze

Writer:

Charlie Kaufman

Stars:

John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 48 wins & 75 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
Byrne Piven	...	Captain Mertin
Judith Wetzell	...	Tiny Woman
John Malkovich	...	John Horatio Malkovich
Kevin Carroll	...	Cab Driver
Willie Garson	...	Guy in Restaurant

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:

puppeteer | portal | body swap | body switching | magical realism | 

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Taglines:

Be All That Someone Else Can Be

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Being John Malkovich

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$637,721, 31 October 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$22,858,926, 7 May 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Astralwerks,Gramercy Pictures (I),Propaganda Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene when a can is thrown at John Malkovich's head is real. Malkovich has described how Spike Jonze wanted to cut it due to running late that night, expecting that no one would be able to hit him on the head with a half-full can of beer from a passing car, when about 70 or 80 sets of hands shot up on the crew saying that they would like to try. Eventually the task fell to John Cusack's writing partner and he nailed it on the first try.

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Goofs

The same cars are driving past on the New Jersey Turnpike the both first and second times someone is seen appearing from the portal.

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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

Referenced in Face Off: Triple Threat (2012)

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Soundtracks

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (as Tchaikovsky)
Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Seiji Ozawa
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophone Gesellschaft GmbH, Hamburg
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

"You don't know how lucky you are being a monkey. Because consciousness is a terrible curse."

This film has a densely layered plot with plenty of insight into the human mind. John Malkovich is a vessel literally and metaphorically. The discovery of the portal amplifies the true nature of each character. Craig, the puppeteer, craves the acceptance of the public for his talent. Lotte, his wife, lives to care for her animals but ultimately wants a child. Maxine, the woman both Lotte and Craig claim to love, believes her beauty is worth the status she lacks. Malkovich is the means by which they believe happiness is possible.

Being John Malkovich is very applicable to this digital age of live celebrity updates and involvement with the public. Many wish they were someone who had more freedom to do whatever they wanted in their relationships, profession, and overall life. Craig, Lotte, and Maxine are all out for themselves: seeing Malkovich as an opportunity and not a human being. Walking in someone else's shoes is traditionally viewed as a chance to understand another person, but in this case it is exploited for narcissistic agendas. Only one character in the movie has true compassion for other human beings, and it is Elijah, their pet monkey.