Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 136 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Smart, funny, and highly original, Being John Malkovich supports its wild premise with skillful direction and a stellar ensemble cast."[46] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100 based on 36 critics reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[47] Malkovich's performance in Being John Malkovich is ranked number 90 on Premiere's "100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time".[48]
The film ranked 441st on Empire magazine's 2008 list of the 500 greatest films of all time.[49] In his review, Roger Ebert awarded the film a full four stars; he later named it the best film of 1999.[50] His comments of praise included "Rare is the movie where the last half hour surprises you just as much as the first, and in ways you're not expecting. The movie has ideas enough for half a dozen films, but Jonze and his cast handle them so surely that we never feel hard-pressed; we're enchanted by one development after the next" and he also felt that "Either Being John Malkovich gets nominated for best picture, or the members of the Academy need portals into their brains."[51] Peter Rainer, writing for New York, commented that "dazzlingly singular movies aren't often this much fun" in his review,[52] and Owen Gleiberman, writing for Entertainment Weekly, called it "the most excitingly original movie of the year."[53]
Accolades
Award | Award category | Recipients | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | Best Director | Spike Jonze | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress | Catherine Keener | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Charlie Kaufman | Nominated | |
American Comedy Awards | Funniest Motion Picture | Being John Malkovich | Nominated |
Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | John Malkovich | Won | |
Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Cameron Diaz | Nominated | |
BAFTA Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Cameron Diaz | Nominated |
Best Screenplay - Original | Charlie Kaufman | Won | |
Best Editing | Eric Zumbrunnen | Nominated | |
César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Spike Jonze | Nominated |
GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Film – Wide Release | Being John Malkovich | Won |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Being John Malkovich | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Cameron Diaz | Nominated | |
Catherine Keener | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay | Charlie Kaufman | Nominated | |
Hugo Awards | Best Dramatic Presentation | Spike Jonze & Charlie Kaufman | Nominated |
Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature - Over $500,000 | Spike Jonze, Michael Stipe, Sandy Stern, Steve Golin, Vincent Landay | Won |
Best First Screenplay | Charlie Kaufman | Won | |
Best Male Lead | John Cusack | Nominated | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best New Filmmaker | Spike Jonze | Won |
Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Film | Being John Malkovich | Won |
Best Writing | Charlie Kaufman | Won | |
Best Actress | Catherine Keener | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Cameron Diaz | Nominated |
Catherine Keener | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Orson Bean, John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Mary Kay Place, Charlie Sheen | Nominated | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actress | Cameron Diaz | Nominated |