Identity (2003)

Director:

James Mangold

Writer (WGA):

Michael Cooney (written by)

Release Date:

25 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The secret lies within.

Plot:

Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Nevada | Rainstorm | Murder | Psychiatrist

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

John Cusack	...	Ed
Ray Liotta	...	Rhodes
Amanda Peet	...	Paris
John Hawkes	...	Larry
Alfred Molina	...	Dr. Malick
Clea DuVall	...	Ginny
John C. McGinley	...	George York
William Lee Scott	...	Lou
Jake Busey	...	Robert Maine
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Malcolm Rivers
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Caroline Suzanne (as Rebecca DeMornay)
Carmen Argenziano	...	Defense Lawyer
Marshall Bell	...	District Attorney
Leila Kenzle	...	Alice York
Matt Letscher	...	Assistant District Attorney

Also Known As:

I.D. (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

90 min | USA:91 min (alternate DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Manitoba/Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | India:A | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38872)

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The proprietor of the motel is named Bates, an obvious allusion to Psycho (1960). An in-joke to that comes later when Rebecca De Mornay is killed while wrapped inside of a shower curtain.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alice is first hit by the car, the car pulls her down, and you can see her start to go under the car. When Alice is hit from Ed's P.O.V., Alice hits the hood of the car, rolls over the top, then slides off the trunk onto the road.

Quotes:

Paris: That's not possible. I was standing right there. I saw what happened. We all saw what happened.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

Soundtrack:

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow

Edge of the seat thriller

I've never before seen a film that made me sit on the edge of my seat practically from the opening credits. And I never got to sit back.

This was a psychological thriller of the best type. There is plenty of opportunity for you to nominate the "bad guy" and while you may be right in a sense you will probably also be wrong. The ending is a real shocker - and I suspect that the typical reaction of many viewers is to say "No way" - but if you think about it, it is the only possible ending. But you have to think about it - and the film is so action-filled that you never have time. SO the realization must come after the closing credits roll.

I'd never seen John Cusack in anything but a comedy before (except for a film called "Max", but I saw that before I knew who Cusack was). He pulled off drama equally as well as he does comedy. An impressive talent.

And an impressive film.