The Identical
| The Identical | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dustin Marcellino |
| Written by | Howard Klausner |
| Produced by | Howard Klausner Dustin Marcellino Joe McDougall Matt Russell Coke Sams Clio Tegel |
| Starring | Seth Green Ashley Judd Joe Pantoliano Blake Rayne Ray Liotta |
| Cinematography | Karl Walter Lindenlaub |
| Edited by | Rick Shaine |
| Music by | Klaus Badelt Chris Carmichael Jerry Marcellino Yochanan Marcellino |
Production companies | City of Peace Films Identical Production Company |
| Distributed by | Freestyle Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16 million[1] |
| Box office | $2.8 million[2] |
The Identical is a 2014 American musical drama film directed by Dustin Marcellino and written by Howard Klausner. The film was released theatrically in the United States on September 5, 2014.[2]
Plot
After William and Helen Hemsley give birth to identical twin boys, the brothers are unknowingly separated at birth during the Great Depression. Drexel Hemsley becomes an iconic 1950s rock and roll star, while Ryan Wade, born Dexter Hemsley, struggles to balance his love for music and pleasing his father. The Reverend Reece Wade and his wife, Louise, are sure their adopted son has been gifted and called by God to be a preacher. But Ryan challenges his parents' vision for his life, and unflinchingly chooses to launch his own music career with his best friend, Dino. Encouraged by his wife, Jenny, and employer, Avi, Ryan embarks on an unpredictable, provocative path – performing the legendary music of Drexel Hemsley in sold out venues all across the country. As the brothers' destinies intertwine, Ryan discovers that Drexel is his twin brother.
Cast
- Blake Rayne as Drexel Hemsley and Dexter Hemsley / Ryan Wade
- Noah Urrea as Dexter / Ryan, 9 years old
- Ray Liotta as Reece Wade
- Ashley Judd as Louise Wade
- Seth Green as Dino
- Ian Mitchell as Dino, 9 years old
- Joe Pantoliano as Avi Hirshberg
- Erin Cottrell as Jenny O'Brien
- Brian Geraghty as William Hemsley
- Chris Mulkey as old William
- Amanda Crew as Helen Hemsley
- Waylon Payne as Tony Nash
- Danny Woodburn as Damon
Release
Critical reception
The Identical was universally panned by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 6%, based on 62 reviews, with an average rating of 3.3/10. The site's consensus states: "With nearly every element ringing as hollow as the ersatz Elvis at the story's core, The Identical looks destined for a bright future on the ironic viewing circuit."[3] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 25 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[4]
Randy Cordova, from The Arizona Republic, wrote, "Elvis Presley made some bad movies, but let's give the King his due: He never made anything as outright awful as The Identical."[5]
Quad-City Times film critic Linda Cook wrote, "Fans of bad movies, please note: This is a must-see. This is so bad it must be seen to be believed — “Showgirls” bad, a vision that slowly goes wrong, then terribly wrong, then hits disaster levels. In a sense, it’s an Ed Wood-ian exercise in wrong."[6]
In response to the negative reception, the film's Twitter page underwent a campaign to boost the fan ratings on both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, including putting the first 15 minutes of the film online for free.[7][8]
Box office
The Identical grossed $1.6 million in its opening weekend, finishing in 12th place at the box office.[2]
The film was pulled from theaters after only playing for three weeks, and grossed $2.8 million during its brief life in theaters, far below its $16 million budget, making it a box office bomb.
References
- ^ Rebecca Ford. "'The Identical' Faith-Friendly Marketing Campaign: Churches, NASCAR and the Emmys". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Identical (2014) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ "The Identical". rottentomatoes.com. September 5, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ^ "The Identical". Metacritic. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ Cordova, Randy (September 4, 2014). "Review: 'The Identical' a hound dog of a film". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ^ Cook, Linda (September 5, 2014). "For awful movies, nothing matches 'Identical'". Quad-City Times. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ^ "Christian filmmakers offer unprecedented dare". WND. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ "The Identical Movie". twitter.com. Retrieved February 7, 2015.