Being John Malkovich

A closer look at the story

Craig is a gifted street puppeteer, but his talent never earns him any money. Things are not going well with his wife Lotte either; she works in a pet shop and brings her job home with her. Pressed for cash, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk at a company, where he falls for Maxine, a woman who does not take him the least bit seriously. One day, while trying to retrieve a file that has slipped behind a cabinet, he notices a small, hidden door. Stepping through out of curiosity, Craig finds himself inside the mind of the famous actor John Malkovich, looking out at the world through his eyes. The passage, which leads into the crazy experience of taking over another person's body, soon becomes an irresistible obsession for everyone who goes in. Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, the 113-minute 1999 film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener and John Malkovich in an offbeat fantasy comedy.