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 ...

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

Ever wanted to be someone else? Now you can.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

---

Goofs

When Maxine enters Malkovich's subconscious for the gun chase, when the first smashes into the bedroom through the closet, there is a man in a green shirt on the left side by the chest of drawers. You can see his hands in one shot, then his whole body.

---

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.

---

Crazy Credits

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

---

Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Music of the Heart/House on Haunted Hill/Being John Malkovich/Princess Mononoke (1999)

---

Soundtracks

Malkovich Malkovich Lounge Music
Written by Nick Peck
Performed by Nick Peck
Courtesy of Perceptive Productions

User Reviews

Wildly Imaginative Surreal Masterwork That Pushes The Limits Of Storytelling

Charlie Kaufman (script) and Spike Jonze (director) burst on the scene together with their collaboration on this crazy masterpiece. 'Being John Malkovich' pushes the limits of storytelling; this wildly imaginative film shows that even the most surreal storyline can still be made entertaining if a filmmaker doesn't care about conventions and knows just what the medium is capable of. Perhaps the most original release in a year that had several very original releases ('Fight Club' and 'The Matrix' were both also released in '99), the film's playful creative energy had an effect on screenwriters, directors, actors and producers that can hardly be overstated. There had simply never been anything like it - and one only has to look at a contemporary TV show like 'Legion' to see what a mark this film left. Groundbreaking and simply inspired. 9 stars out of 10.

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

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

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