Identity (film)
Encyclopedia
Identity is a 2003 American thriller-mystery film
, directed by James Mangold
and written by Michael Cooney. The film stars John Cusack
, Ray Liotta
, John C. McGinley
and Amanda Peet
. The plot was inspired by Agatha Christie
's novel And Then There Were None
.
) is awaiting execution for several vicious murders that took place at a motel. His psychiatrist, Doctor Mallick (Alfred Molina
), has discovered a journal belonging to Rivers that may explain why he really committed the murders. With this late evidence brought forth, a new hearing takes place on a stormy night in which Mallick will try to persuade the Judge (Holmes Osborne
) to spare Rivers. Meanwhile, a group of 10 strangers find themselves stranded in the middle of the storm in a remote motel in the Nevada
desert, run by the manager Larry Washington (Hawkes
). The 10 strangers are a limo driver, Ed Dakota (John Cusack
); an 80's movie star, Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay
); a cop, Officer Rhodes (Ray Liotta
), who is transporting a serial killer
, Robert Maine (Jake Busey
); a prostitute, Paris Nevada (Amanda Peet
); a pair of newlyweds, Lou (William Lee Scott
) and Ginny (Clea DuVall
) Isiana; and a family in crisis, George (John C. McGinley
), Alice (Leila Kenzle
) and Timmy (Bret Loehr
) York. With the phone lines down due to the storm, the group prepare to spend the night, taking care of those that have been injured through their arrival. However, the group quickly finds that there is an unknown murderer present, killing off each of the guests and leaving behind one of the motel's room keys to be found, starting with Room 10's key and counting down.
Caroline Suzanne is the first to be killed, and Ed finds her head in a dryer. Ed thinks that Maine killed her and when he, Rhodes, and Larry check the convict, they discover he has escaped.
All the other people become increasingly worried, and Ginny runs to her room despite been told to stay put. Her husband Lou chases after her but is also mysteriously murdered. Meanwhile, Ed and Rhodes find the con, knock him out, tie him to a pole and put Larry on duty guarding him. Everyone calms down when they realize that the con is caught, but he is later found dead with Larry's baseball bat in his throat. Rhodes is furious, and Ed finds Suzanne's wallet in Larry's box. Larry then panics and holds Paris at knife-point, but she escapes and discovers a dead body in Larry's freezer. With everyone distracted by the frozen corpse, Larry attempts to escape in his truck, claiming he did not kill anybody. He then accidentally runs over George, killing him instantly.
The survivors tie up Larry who tells them his story but does not get much sympathy from Rhodes, but the others believe him when he says he did not kill anyone. Meanwhile Timothy's mother dies, presumably from her injuries (Ed accidentally ran her over). Ed then tells Paris, Timmy, and Ginny to leave the motel, against Rhodes' wishes. Ginny and Timmy both die when their car blows up, but their bodies are nowhere to be seen. The remaining four discover that all the bodies have now disappeared and that all 10 share the same birthday. Paris also discovers that Rhodes is a convict as well and that he stabbed a police officer to death and took his place. Rhodes sees her look through his car and attempts to kill her, but she is saved by Larry, who in turn is shot dead by Rhodes.
At the hearing, the contents of Malcolm's journal are revealed, indicating the prisoner suffers from an extreme case of dissociative identity disorder
, harboring 10 distinct personalities. Mallick is able to bring forth one of Malcolm's personalities, Ed, revealing that events at the motel are occurring inside Malcolm's mind, each personality being a distinct person though all sharing the same birth date. After hearing of events in the motel, Mallick informs the Ed personality that he must find and eliminate the hostile personality in order to prevent Malcolm from being executed lest all the personalities be killed off. In the motel setting, as the group is dwindled down, Ed believes that the personality of Rhodes is the murderer, and sacrifices himself to kill Rhodes, leaving only Paris alive. When Mallick demonstrates that the homicidal personality is dead, the Judge decides to place Malcolm in a mental institution under Mallick's care.
As Malcolm is driven along with Mallick to the institution, in Malcolm's mind, Paris has driven away from the motel to her hometown, Frostproof, Florida
. As she tends an orange
grove, she discovers the Room 1 motel key in the ground, and turns around to find Timmy standing behind her. Timmy, the true homicidal personality, had orchestrated all the deaths at the motel, and made it appear that he had been killed as well; he finishes his task by killing Paris, reciting Hughes Mearns's "Antigonish
". Now driven only by Timmy, Malcolm strangles Mallick, and the van runs off the side of the road.
. With some in Lancaster, California
and other places in Los Angeles County
the majority was shot on a sound stage at Sony Studios in Culver City.
out of 165 reviews. It has scored 64 (generally favorable reviews) out of 100 on Metacritic
.
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
, directed by James Mangold
James Mangold
James Allen Mangold is an American film director and screenwriter. He is perhaps best known for Walk the Line which he co-wrote and directed.-Life and career:...
and written by Michael Cooney. The film stars John Cusack
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
, Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
, John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
and Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
. The plot was inspired by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's novel And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939 under the title Ten Little Niggers which was changed by Dodd, Mead and Company in January 1940 because of the presence of a racial...
.
Plot
Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor VincePruitt Taylor Vince
Pruitt Taylor Vince is an American award-winning character actor who has made many appearances in film and television.-Personal life:Vince was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
) is awaiting execution for several vicious murders that took place at a motel. His psychiatrist, Doctor Mallick (Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
), has discovered a journal belonging to Rivers that may explain why he really committed the murders. With this late evidence brought forth, a new hearing takes place on a stormy night in which Mallick will try to persuade the Judge (Holmes Osborne
Holmes Osborne
Holmes Osborne is an American actor, best known for starring in Richard Kelly's films - Donnie Darko , Southland Tales and The Box . He's also played the father of Guy Patterson in the movie That Thing You Do!, and starred in the movie Bring it On. He has made appearances in TV shows such as...
) to spare Rivers. Meanwhile, a group of 10 strangers find themselves stranded in the middle of the storm in a remote motel in the Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
desert, run by the manager Larry Washington (Hawkes
John Hawkes (actor)
John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
). The 10 strangers are a limo driver, Ed Dakota (John Cusack
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
); an 80's movie star, Caroline Suzanne (Rebecca De Mornay
Rebecca De Mornay
Rebecca De Mornay is an American film and television actress. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she played Lana in Risky Business opposite Tom Cruise...
); a cop, Officer Rhodes (Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
), who is transporting a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, Robert Maine (Jake Busey
Jake Busey
William Jacob "Jake" Busey is an American actor, musician and film producer. He is sometimes credited as "Jacob Busey" or "William Busey".-Personal life:...
); a prostitute, Paris Nevada (Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
); a pair of newlyweds, Lou (William Lee Scott
William Lee Scott
William Lee Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of dim-witted high school student Stanley "Bullethead" Kuznocki on the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show...
) and Ginny (Clea DuVall
Clea DuVall
Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sofie on the television series Carnivàle as well as for films such as The Faculty , Girl, Interrupted and The Grudge .-Early life:DuVall was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Rosemary and...
) Isiana; and a family in crisis, George (John C. McGinley
John C. McGinley
John Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
), Alice (Leila Kenzle
Leila Kenzle
Leila Kenzle is an American actress best known for her role as Fran Devanow on Mad About You.Kenzle was born in Patchogue, Long Island, New York, the daughter of Lee, an antiques dealer, and Kurt Kenzle, who worked in electrical supply sales. Before moving to Los Angeles to become an actress she...
) and Timmy (Bret Loehr
Bret Loehr
Bret James Loehr is an American child actor most known for playing Timmy York in the 2003 horror film Identity and for playing as a recurring in the 2004 Fox's sitcom Cracking Up.-External links:*...
) York. With the phone lines down due to the storm, the group prepare to spend the night, taking care of those that have been injured through their arrival. However, the group quickly finds that there is an unknown murderer present, killing off each of the guests and leaving behind one of the motel's room keys to be found, starting with Room 10's key and counting down.
Caroline Suzanne is the first to be killed, and Ed finds her head in a dryer. Ed thinks that Maine killed her and when he, Rhodes, and Larry check the convict, they discover he has escaped.
All the other people become increasingly worried, and Ginny runs to her room despite been told to stay put. Her husband Lou chases after her but is also mysteriously murdered. Meanwhile, Ed and Rhodes find the con, knock him out, tie him to a pole and put Larry on duty guarding him. Everyone calms down when they realize that the con is caught, but he is later found dead with Larry's baseball bat in his throat. Rhodes is furious, and Ed finds Suzanne's wallet in Larry's box. Larry then panics and holds Paris at knife-point, but she escapes and discovers a dead body in Larry's freezer. With everyone distracted by the frozen corpse, Larry attempts to escape in his truck, claiming he did not kill anybody. He then accidentally runs over George, killing him instantly.
The survivors tie up Larry who tells them his story but does not get much sympathy from Rhodes, but the others believe him when he says he did not kill anyone. Meanwhile Timothy's mother dies, presumably from her injuries (Ed accidentally ran her over). Ed then tells Paris, Timmy, and Ginny to leave the motel, against Rhodes' wishes. Ginny and Timmy both die when their car blows up, but their bodies are nowhere to be seen. The remaining four discover that all the bodies have now disappeared and that all 10 share the same birthday. Paris also discovers that Rhodes is a convict as well and that he stabbed a police officer to death and took his place. Rhodes sees her look through his car and attempts to kill her, but she is saved by Larry, who in turn is shot dead by Rhodes.
At the hearing, the contents of Malcolm's journal are revealed, indicating the prisoner suffers from an extreme case of dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
, harboring 10 distinct personalities. Mallick is able to bring forth one of Malcolm's personalities, Ed, revealing that events at the motel are occurring inside Malcolm's mind, each personality being a distinct person though all sharing the same birth date. After hearing of events in the motel, Mallick informs the Ed personality that he must find and eliminate the hostile personality in order to prevent Malcolm from being executed lest all the personalities be killed off. In the motel setting, as the group is dwindled down, Ed believes that the personality of Rhodes is the murderer, and sacrifices himself to kill Rhodes, leaving only Paris alive. When Mallick demonstrates that the homicidal personality is dead, the Judge decides to place Malcolm in a mental institution under Mallick's care.
As Malcolm is driven along with Mallick to the institution, in Malcolm's mind, Paris has driven away from the motel to her hometown, Frostproof, Florida
Frostproof, Florida
Frostproof is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The city is located in southern Polk County on the Lake Wales Ridge. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,954...
. As she tends an orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
grove, she discovers the Room 1 motel key in the ground, and turns around to find Timmy standing behind her. Timmy, the true homicidal personality, had orchestrated all the deaths at the motel, and made it appear that he had been killed as well; he finishes his task by killing Paris, reciting Hughes Mearns's "Antigonish
Antigonish (poem)
"Antigonish" is a poem by American educator and poet Hughes Mearns. It is also known as "The Little Man Who Wasn't There", and was a hit song under that title.-Poem:...
". Now driven only by Timmy, Malcolm strangles Mallick, and the van runs off the side of the road.
The Alter characters
- Amanda PeetAmanda PeetAmanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
as Paris NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, a Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
prostitute. - John CusackJohn CusackJohn Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
as Edward "Ed" Dakota, a limousine driver and former police officer. - Ray LiottaRay Liotta[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
as Samuel RhodesRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, a police officer. - John HawkesJohn Hawkes (actor)John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
as Larry Washington, the motel owner. - Clea DuVallClea DuVallClea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sofie on the television series Carnivàle as well as for films such as The Faculty , Girl, Interrupted and The Grudge .-Early life:DuVall was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Rosemary and...
as Ginny Isiana (née VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
), a superstitious newlywed. - Leila KenzleLeila KenzleLeila Kenzle is an American actress best known for her role as Fran Devanow on Mad About You.Kenzle was born in Patchogue, Long Island, New York, the daughter of Lee, an antiques dealer, and Kurt Kenzle, who worked in electrical supply sales. Before moving to Los Angeles to become an actress she...
as Alice YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, a wife and mother who is injured in a car accident. - John C. McGinleyJohn C. McGinleyJohn Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
as George York, Alice's husband and Timmy's stepfather. - Bret LoehrBret LoehrBret James Loehr is an American child actor most known for playing Timmy York in the 2003 horror film Identity and for playing as a recurring in the 2004 Fox's sitcom Cracking Up.-External links:*...
as Timothy "Timmy" York, Alice's son and George's stepson. - Jake BuseyJake BuseyWilliam Jacob "Jake" Busey is an American actor, musician and film producer. He is sometimes credited as "Jacob Busey" or "William Busey".-Personal life:...
as Robert MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Rhodes' prisoner. - William Lee ScottWilliam Lee ScottWilliam Lee Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of dim-witted high school student Stanley "Bullethead" Kuznocki on the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show...
as Lou IsianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Ginny's husband. - Rebecca De MornayRebecca De MornayRebecca De Mornay is an American film and television actress. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she played Lana in Risky Business opposite Tom Cruise...
as Caroline Suzanne, an 80's Hollywood TV actress that is chauffeured by Ed.
Other cast
- Alfred MolinaAlfred MolinaAlfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
as Dr. Mallick, a psychologist - Pruitt Taylor VincePruitt Taylor VincePruitt Taylor Vince is an American award-winning character actor who has made many appearances in film and television.-Personal life:Vince was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
as Malcolm Rivers, a convicted serial killer - Carmen ArgenzianoCarmen ArgenzianoCarmen Antimo Argenziano is an American actor who has appeared in over 50 movies and around 100 television movies or episodes....
as Marty, the defense lawyer - Marshall BellMarshall BellArchibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
as the district attorneyDistrict attorneyIn many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of... - Matt LetscherMatt LetscherMatthew Letscher is an American actor.-Biography:Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity....
as the assistant district attorney - Holmes OsborneHolmes OsborneHolmes Osborne is an American actor, best known for starring in Richard Kelly's films - Donnie Darko , Southland Tales and The Box . He's also played the father of Guy Patterson in the movie That Thing You Do!, and starred in the movie Bring it On. He has made appearances in TV shows such as...
as Judge Taylor - Frederick CoffinFrederick CoffinFrederick D. Coffin was an American film actor.-Early life:Coffin was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1943 to actress Winifred Deforest Coffin, and was one of five children. He was educated at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, where he was both a student and athlete. He began to study...
as Detective Varole - Joe Hart as BailiffBailiffA bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
Jenkins - Michael Hirsch as the naked businessman
- Terence Bernie Hines as a bailiff
- Stuart M. BesserStuart M. BesserStuart Besser is a film producer with more than 25 years of experience and has appeared as an actor in one film, Identity.-Filmography as producer:*The People Under the Stairs*The Break-Up*Vampire in Brooklyn*Dr. Giggles*Love at Large...
as Larry, the real motel owner
Production
All shooting was undertaken in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With some in Lancaster, California
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
and other places in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
the majority was shot on a sound stage at Sony Studios in Culver City.
Reception
The film has a rating of 62% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
out of 165 reviews. It has scored 64 (generally favorable reviews) out of 100 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.