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Identity
Identity film poster
Directed by	James Mangold
Produced by	Cathy Konrad
Written by	Michael Cooney
Starring	John Cusack Ray Liotta Amanda Peet Alfred Molina Clea DuVall Rebecca De Mornay John Hawkes John C. McGinley William Lee Scott Jake Busey Pruitt Taylor Vince
Music by	Alan Silvestri
Cinematography	Phedon Papamichael Jr.
Editing by	David Brenner
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	April 25, 2003
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$28 million
Gross revenue	$90,259,536

Identity is a 2003 psychological thriller 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.

Plot

Malcolm Rivers (Pruitt Taylor Vince) is a psychotic killer awaiting execution for several vicious murders that took place at a motel. His psychiatrist, Doctor Malick (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 Malick will try to persuade the Judge to spare Rivers. Meanwhile, a group of ten strangers, through a number of circumstances, find themselves stranded in the middle of the storm in a remote motel in the Nevada desert. 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.

At the hearing, the contents of Malcolm's journal are revealed, indicating the prisoner suffers from an extreme case of Dissociative Identity Disorder, harboring ten distinct personalities. Malick is able to bring forth one of Malcolm's personalities, Ed (John Cusack), 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, Malick 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 (Ray Liotta) is the murderer, and sacrifices himself to kill Rhodes, leaving only Paris (Amanda Peet) alive. When Malick demonstrates that that homicidal personality is dead, the Judge decides to place Malcolm in a mental institution under Malick's care.

As Malcolm is driven along with Malick to the institution, in Malcolm's mind, Paris has driven away from the motel to her hometown in Florida. As she tends an orange grove, she discovers the Room 1 motel key in the ground, and turns around to find the young 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 Malick, and the transport truck runs off the side of the road.

Cast

The personalities include

• John Cusack as Ed Dakota, a limousine driver and a former police officer who is instructed by Rivers to kill the homicidal personality of Rivers.He along with Rhodes are both killed when they shoot each other.
• Amanda Peet as Paris Nevada, a Las Vegas prostitute. She is killed by Timmy at the end of the movie.
• Ray Liotta as Rhodes, a police officer, but in reality a convict that, along with Robert Maine, overpowered the officer transporting them to prison, and took his clothes to pose as the officer with Robert as his prisoner. Ed and Rhodes both shoot each other dead when Ed believes that Rhodes is the homicidal personality. He was shown as a red herring for being Malcolm's homicidal personality while Timmy York was the real culprit.
• Jake Busey as Robert Maine, a serial killer and convict, at the beginning of the film he was suspected to be the film's murderer, until the real killer killed him.
• John Hawkes as Larry Washington, the Motel owner, though not the real owner, as he had found the owner of the motel with the same first name he has already died.He dies when he knocks out Rhodes but is shot twice when he tries to take his gun.
• Clea DuVall as Virginia "Ginny" Isiana, a newlywed. She perishes in a car explosion.
• William Lee Scott as Lou Isiana, Ginny's husband. He is brutally murderd by Timmy.
• John C. McGinley as George York, a family father. George is accidentally knocked over and killed by Larry when he tries to rescue Timmy from being run over.
• Leila Kenzle as Alice York, George's wife and mother to Timmy. Alice is severely injured when she is run over accidentally by Ed while George attempted to change the tire on their car.She is later smothered by Timmy.
• Bret Loehr as Timmy York, Alice's son (and George's stepson). Timmy is eventually revealed as the homicidal personality in Malcolm's mind despite his quiet demeanor.
• Rebecca De Mornay as Caroline Suzanne, an 80's Hollywood TV actress that is chauffeured by Ed.She is the first to die after having her head cut off.

Other actors include:

• Alfred Molina as Dr. Malick, River's psychologist. He is strangled by Malcolm at the end of the movie.
• Pruitt Taylor Vince as Malcolm Rivers, a serial killer
• Carmen Argenziano as Defense Lawyer.
• Marshall Bell as District Attorney.
• Matt Letscher as Assistant District Attorney.
• Holmes Osborne as Judge Taylor.
• Frederick Coffin as Detective Varole.
• Joe Hart as Bailiff Jenkins.
• Frank Pugliese as Naked Businessman.
• Terence Bernie as Hines Bailiff.
• Stuart M. Besser as Larry, Frozen Body.

Production

All shooting was undertaken in the United States. 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.

Reception

The film has got 62% on Rotten Tomatoes out of 165 reviews.^[1] It has scored 64 (generally favorable reviews) out of 100 on Metacritic.^[2]

References

External links

• Official website
• Identity at the Internet Movie Database
• Identity at Box Office Mojo