Being John Malkovich

Name: Being John Malkovich
Released: 1999-10-29
Cast: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Mary Kay Place

R
1h 52m
1999

93%

age 16+

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Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a struggling street puppeteer. In order to make some money, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk. One day he accidentally discovers a door… a portal into the mind of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich)! For 15 minutes, he experiences the ultimate head trip - HE is John Malkovich! Then he's dumped out onto the New Jersey turnpike! With his beautiful office mate Maxine (Catherine Keener) and his pet-obsessed wife (Cameron Diaz), they hatch a plan to let others into John's brain for just $200 a trip.

Director:

Spike Jonze

Producer:

Writer:

Charlie Kaufman

Cast:

John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Mary Kay Place, Orson Bean

Rotten Tomatoes® Score

TOMATOMETER®

93%

Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and highly original, Being John Malkovich supports its wild premise with skillful direction and a stellar ensemble cast.

Reviews

Filmspotting

Adam Kempenaar

Kaufman and Jonze steer us through a truly twisted psychological and existential swamp.

Outlandish, hilarious and exceedingly clever.

For two hours, it works like the best music videos: making high-concept philosophies graspable, ma...

What could have developed into a one-gag film becomes a gender-bending extravaganza with a crazy n...

Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's hallucinatory meditation on human embodiment, celebrity, and, uh...

March 26, 2019

FULL REVIEW

Common Sense Media

age 16+

Common Sense Says

Kids won't get this sex-driven, head-trip comedy.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that teens may be interested in this comedy because it stars Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener from The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but they won't get the offbeat, adult humor and storyline. Also, the film is explicit about sex, sexual behavior, and infidelity. John and Maxine have sex several times and you can hear characters reaching climax, though no one is naked. Maxine calls Craig a "fag," and belittles his sexuality. Craig kidnaps, cages, and terrorizes his wife when she falls in love with Maxine. There's discussion of homosexuality and of transexuality.