Being John Malkovich

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Being John Malkovich ★★★ 1999 (R)

Very weird comedy is the debut feature for Jonze. Highstrung street puppeteer Craig Schwartz (Cusack) is married to frumpy petstore worker Lotte (an unrecognizable Diaz). Forced to take a job as an office clerk in a building on floor sevenandahalf, Craig falls for office vixen, Maxine (Keener), but his big discovery is a sealed door that reveals a tunnel leading directly into actor John Malkovich's mind. Craig views the world through the actor's eyes for 15 minutes at a time and decides to profit on his findings. Things just get more surreal when both Lotte and Maxine get involved. 112m/C VHS, DVD, HD DVD . John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Orson Bean, Mary Kay Place, Charlie Sheen; D: Spike Jonze; W: Charlie Kaufman; C: Lance Acord; M: Carter Burwell. British Acad. '99: Orig. Screenplay; Ind. Spirit '00: First Feature, First Screenplay; L.A. Film Critics '99: Screenplay; MTV Movie Awards '00: New Filmmaker (Jonze); N.Y. Film Critics '99: Support. Actor (Malkovich), Support. Actress (Keener); Natl. Soc. Film Critics '99: Film, Screenplay.