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 & 76 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:

Ever Wanted To Be Someone Else?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

M

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Cusack read the script after he had asked his agent to present him with the "craziest, most unproduceable script you can find." Impressed with it, he asked his agent to follow its progress and book him an audition, which won him the role.

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Goofs

When Maxine enters the lift on the 7 1/2 floor, it stops there when someone calls it (from outside), but from inside you have to stop it with the stop button because that's how it works.

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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 Colossal: Behind the Scenes (2017)

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Soundtracks

Minuetto
(from Concerto in C major for Oboe, String Orchestra and Basso Continuo)
Music by Antonio Vivaldi
Courtesy of Promusic, Inc.

User Reviews

'Consciousness is a terrible curse'...

... but without it you'd be unconscious or you wouldn't be you, or are you, you? Exploring identity, appearance, choice and fame in the most original and entertaining of ways, this esoterically amusing vision of what makes us who we are manages to keep you engaged and amused while encouraging a little self reflection upon completion - that is if it is you doing the reflecting, pulling your own strings, grinding your own organ, dancing to your own tune.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 2000 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Dans la peau de John Malkovich

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$637,721, 31 October 1999

Gross USA:

$22,863,596

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,106,667

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