Being John Malkovich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Being John Malkovich | |
 Being John Malkovich movie poster |
|
| Directed by | Spike Jonze |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Steve Golin Vincent Landay Sandy Stern Michael Stipe |
| Written by | Charlie Kaufman |
| Starring | John Cusack Cameron Diaz Catherine Keener |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Cinematography | Lance Acord |
| Editing by | Eric Zumbrunnen |
| Distributed by | USA Films (1999-2002) Universal Pictures (non-U.S. only 1999-2002, worldwide since 2002) Alliance Films (Canada) |
| Release date(s) | United States: October 22, 1999 Australia: December 26, 1999 United Kingdom: March 17, 2000 New Zealand: May 18, 2000 |
| Running time | 112 min |
| Language | English |
Being John Malkovich is a 1999 dramedy film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze.[1] It stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and John Malkovich, who plays a fictionalized version of himself. The plot brings to the forefront several issues in contemporary philosophy of mind, such as the nature of self and consciousness, the mind-body dichotomy, and sensory perception.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an unsuccessful puppeteer and in a forlorn marriage with his pet-obsessed wife Lotte (Cameron Diaz). He gains employment through Dr. Lester (Orson Bean) at LesterCorp, run out of the low-ceiling offices on floor 7½ of the Mertin Flemmer building in New York City. Schwartz, while filing paperwork, discovers a portal behind a filing cabinet, and when he enters it, finds himself in the mind of actor John Horatio Malkovich (John Malkovich), able to observe and sense whatever Malkovich does for fifteen minutes before he is ejected and dropped into a ditch adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike. When he reveals the portal to his co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener), they decide to start a business to allow others to experience Malkovich at $200 a head. When Schwartz explains his new business venture to Lotte, she decides that she must try the portal. Lotte becomes obsessed with the experience, which allows her to live out her transgender desires. One time while Lotte is inside Malkovich, he goes on a date with Maxine. Maxine falls in love with Malkovich (with Lotte inside him), and they continue to see each other in this fashion, including making love to each other. Schwartz, realizing that he has been forsaken by both women, ties and locks up his wife, while he enters into Malkovich's mind and dates Maxine. Schwartz, drawing on his background as a puppeteer, discovers that he is able to control Malkovich's actions while in his head, and this causes the actor to become paranoid. After consulting with his friend Charlie Sheen, Malkovich trails Maxine to the Mertin Flemmer building, where he finds out about, and insists upon trying the portal. He finds himself in a world where everyone looks like him and can only say "Malkovich"; he is quickly ejected and meets Schwartz by the turnpike. Malkovich angrily demands that Schwartz close the portal, but he refuses.
As Schwartz enters Malkovich to prepare for the next date with Maxine, Lotte escapes her bonds and seeks out Dr. Lester. From him, Lotte learns that Dr. Lester is well aware of the portal and has been using it to live on for years after years, changing from one dying body to a younger one each time. When the body is "ripe", the portal moves to its next host. Anyone who manages to enter the portal at the right time when the body becomes "ripe" gets to live on in the body. At the present time, the portal is connected to the body of Malkovich, which is getting "ripe" soon. Dr. Lester reveals to Lotte his plan to use Malkovich as a host for himself and several of his friends. Lotte warns him that Schwartz has become able to control Malkovich and it may be difficult to displace him.
While out on a date with Maxine, Schwartz decides to remain in Malkovich indefinitely. He spends the next eight months in Malkovich's body and through his control of the body, turns Malkovich into a world-famous puppeteer, revitalizing the art of puppetery. Malkovich also gets married to Maxine during this period of time. Eventually, their relationship becomes more distant. Maxine learns that she is pregnant. As the time when Malkovich's body turns ripe and the portal finds its next host draws near, Dr. Lester and his friends capture Maxine and demand of Schwartz that he leave Malkovich's body, threatening to kill Maxine if he doesn't cooperate. Schwartz refuses. Lotte, believing Maxine to be the source of her problems, seeks her out at the Mertin Flemmer building; the two fall together into the portal, travel through Malkovich's childhood memories, and end up being ejected next to the turnpike. Maxine then reveals to Lotte that she conceived when Lotte was inside Malkovich's body. The two fall in love with each other.
After a bar fight, Schwartz decides to leave Malkovich's body voluntarily. Malkovich finds he briefly has control of himself before Dr. Lester and his friends enter the portal, just before the portal moves on to the next host. After Schwartz discovers that Lotte and Maxine have fallen for each other, he uses the portal again but finds himself in the next host which happens to be the Emily, the baby of Maxine. Schwartz ends up being forced to watch Maxine and Lotte live happily ever after through the eyes of the child.
[edit] Reception
The film received extremely positive reviews from critics with a 92% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes[2] and ranked 441st on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[3]The film was widely praised for its originality, both in terms of the script, which won Kaufman the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay, and Jonze's direction. Kaufman's blending of fact and outrageous fiction was a theme continued in his next film with Jonze, Adaptation., which was nominated for an Oscar in 2003.[4]
[edit] Cameos
Spike Jonze makes a cameo appearance as Derek Mantini's assistant. Brad Pitt also has a half-second-long cameo, as a miffed star in the documentary on Malkovich's career. He seems to be on the verge of saying something before the shot ends. Sean Penn also appears in the movie as a fan of Malkovich's puppeteer work. Film director David Fincher makes an uncredited appearance as Christopher Bing in the American Arts & Culture pseudo documentary on John Malkovich. Charlie Sheen appears as Malkovich's best friend and confidant. Winona Ryder, Andy Dick, and the members of Hanson can be seen in the audience of a Malkovich puppet show. All of the members of the band Phantom Planet provided voice work as Malkovich ran through a dark tunnel.[citation needed] Kirk Moulin appears as Malkovich's main photo double in the restaurant scene.[citation needed]
[edit] Awards
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Keener) and Best Original Screenplay.[5]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Being John Malkovich at the Internet Movie Database
- Being John Malkovich at Allmovie
- Being John Malkovich at Rotten Tomatoes
|
|||||||||||
