Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich is a 1999 American surrealist fantasy comedy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, with John Malkovich as a satirical version of himself. Cusack plays a puppeteer who finds a portal that leads into Malkovich's mind. Released by USA Films, the film received widespread acclaim, with praise for its writing and direction, and grossed $23 million against a $13 million budget. The film was nominated in three categories at the 72nd Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Keener. The film ranked 441st on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest films of all time, while Malkovich's performance is ranked number 90 on Premiere's "100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time".
Plot
Craig Schwartz is an unemployed puppeteer in New York City, in a forlorn marriage with his pet-obsessed wife, Lotte. He finds work as a file clerk for the eccentric Dr. Lester in the Mertin-Flemmer building, on a floor between the 7th and 8th, where the ceiling is very low. He develops an attraction to co-worker Maxine Lund, who does not return his affections. While filing, Craig accidentally discovers a small hidden door. He crawls through it into a tunnel and finds himself inside the mind of actor John Malkovich. After 15 minutes, Craig is ejected, landing on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. He tells Maxine about the door, and she realizes they can sell the experience for profit.
Awards
Cast
- Brad Pitt
- Byrne Piven
- Cameron Diaz
- Catherine Keener
- Charlie Sheen
- David Fincher
- Dustin Hoffman
- Gary Sinise
- Gerald Emerick
- Gregory Sporleder
- James Murray
- John Cusack
- John Malkovich
- K. K. Dodds
- Mary Kay Place
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Ned Bellamy
- Octavia Spencer
- Orson Bean
- Sean Penn
- Spike Jonze
- W. Earl Brown
- Willie Garson
- Winona Ryder
More details
| author | Charlie Kaufman |
|---|---|
| award | BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay Grand prix du Festival de Deauville National Board of Review: Top Ten Films |
| contentLocation | New Jersey New York City |
| director | Spike Jonze |
| editor | Eric Zumbrunnen |
| events | body swap identity |
| genre | comedy-drama fantasy |
| keywords | build ceiling discover disturb file file clerk force group of friends hidden door id land move new jersey turnpike set up seven years trap unemployed |
| musicBy | Carter Burwell |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film |
| producer | Michael Stipe Sandy Stern Steve Golin Vincent Landay |
| productionCompany | Gramercy Pictures Propaganda Films |
| publisher | Universal Pictures USA Films |
| recordedAt | Long Beach New Jersey |
| theme | independent magic realism surreal |