True Identity

Last updated
True Identity
True Identity FilmPoster.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Charles Lane
Written by Andy Breckman
Produced byCarol Baum
Teri Schwartz
Starring
Cinematography Thomas E. Ackerman
Edited by Kent Beyda
Music byMarc Marder
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • August 23, 1991 (1991-08-23)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million
Box office$4,693,236 (US) [1]

True Identity is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Charles Lane and starring Lenny Henry, Frank Langella and Anne-Marie Johnson. [2] The plot revolves around a black man (Henry), who disguises himself as a white man to escape the mob.

Contents

Plot

A struggling black actor named Miles Pope is on a plane ride home from a failed acting audition. Miles meets a producer named Leland Carver who accidentally reveals his mafia ties when he believes that their plane is about to crash. However, the plane does not crash and Miles is the only man who knows Leland's past. To escape, Miles persuades his makeup artist friend Duane to transform him into a Caucasian male.

As Miles is packing his bags to get out of town, a hitman walks in and a struggle ensues. Miles kills the hitman, but through a comedy of errors he is mistaken for the hitman. Miles must assume a parade of identities to stay one step ahead of the mafia on his trail.

Cast

Reception

The film received mediocre reviews. [4] [5] Caryn James of The New York Times said that Lane's direction was "tame and conventional" and that although Henry had "obvious" talent, True Identity does not take enough advantage of it". [6] Lenny Henry commented on the film retrospectively in 2010: "When I went to America to do True Identity in 1991, I realised they had their own Richard Pryor, they didn’t need me pretending to be Richard Pryor, so I had a massive career rethink." [7] The film was not a box office success. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenny Henry</span> British comedian and actor (born 1958)

Sir Lenworth George Henry is an English comedian, actor and writer. He gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in The Lenny Henry Show in 1984. He was the most prominent black British comedian of the time and much of his material served to celebrate and parody his African-Caribbean roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Pryor</span> American comedian and actor (1940–2005)

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most important stand-up comedians of all time. Pryor won a Primetime Emmy Award and five Grammy Awards. He received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. He won the Writers Guild of America Award in 1974. He was listed at number one on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him first on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.

<i>Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai</i> 1999 film by Jim Jarmusch

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 crime drama film produced, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Forest Whitaker as the title character, a hitman for the mafia who adheres to the ancient warrior code of the samurai, as outlined in the book of Yamamoto Tsunetomo's recorded sayings, Hagakure. The cast also features Cliff Gorman, Henry Silva, Isaach de Bankolé, Victor Argo and Camille Winbush.

<i>Dave</i> (film) 1993 film by Gary Ross

Dave is a 1993 American political comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, written by Gary Ross, and starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver. Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Laura Linney, Ving Rhames, Charles Grodin, and Ben Kingsley appear in supporting roles. Dave was a box office success, and was met with critical acclaim.

<i>Casino</i> (1995 film) 1995 film directed by Martin Scorsese

Casino is a 1995 epic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, adapted by Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi from the latter's nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. It stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, and James Woods. The film was the eighth collaboration between director Scorsese and De Niro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Langella</span> American actor (born 1938)

Frank A. Langella Jr. is an American actor known for his roles on stage and screen. He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing frequently on Broadway. He has received numerous accolades including four Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, an Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Hot Shots!</i> 1991 US comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams

Hot Shots! is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams, co-writer and co-director of Airplane!, and written by Abrahams and Pat Proft. It stars Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Jon Cryer, Kevin Dunn, Kristy Swanson, Bill Irwin, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. The film is primarily a parody of Top Gun, with some scenes spoofing other popular films, including 9½ Weeks, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Dances with Wolves, Marathon Man, Rocky, Superman, and Gone with the Wind. A sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux, was released in 1993, with Sheen, Golino, Bridges and Jerry Haleva reprising their roles.

<i>Dracula</i> (1979 film) 1979 British horror film directed by John Badham

Dracula is a 1979 gothic horror film directed by John Badham. The film starred Frank Langella in the title role as well as Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence and Kate Nelligan.

<i>Richard Pryor</i> (album) 1968 live album by Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor is the debut album of comedian Richard Pryor. It was recorded live in 1968 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

<i>Another You</i> 1991 film by Maurice Phillips

Another You is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Maurice Phillips and produced and written by Ziggy Steinberg. It stars Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Mercedes Ruehl, Vanessa Williams and Kevin Pollak. It was released in the United States on July 26, 1991.

<i>Life with Mikey</i> 1993 film by James Lapine

Life with Mikey is a 1993 American comedy film directed by James Lapine and written by Marc Lawrence. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, Cyndi Lauper and Christina Vidal in her film acting debut.

Charles Lane is an American actor and filmmaker.

<i>Critical Condition</i> (film) 1987 film by Michael Apted

Critical Condition is a 1987 American comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Michael Apted. The film was released in the United States on January 16, 1987.

<i>The Hitman</i> 1991 film by Aaron Norris

The Hitman is a 1991 Canadian-American action film starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Aaron Norris and written by Don Carmody, Robert Geoffrion and Galen Thompson.

<i>Who Is Cletis Tout?</i> 2002 film

Who is Cletis Tout? is a 2002 comedy film written and directed by Chris Ver Wiel and starring Christian Slater, Richard Dreyfuss, Portia de Rossi, RuPaul, and Tim Allen. The film is about mistaken identity getting in the way of recovering a stash of diamonds that was stolen and subsequently hidden more than 20 years earlier.

<i>Pure Luck</i> 1991 film by Nadia Tass

Pure Luck is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Australian director Nadia Tass in her American film directing debut. It is a remake of the popular French comedy film La Chèvre (1981). The film stars Martin Short, Danny Glover, Sheila Kelly, Scott Wilson, and Sam Wanamaker.

<i>Frost/Nixon</i> (film) 2008 historical drama film

Frost/Nixon is a 2008 historical drama film based on the 2006 play by Peter Morgan, who also adapted the screenplay. The film tells the story behind the Frost/Nixon interviews of 1977. The film was directed by Ron Howard. A co-production of the United States, the United Kingdom and France, the film was produced for Universal Pictures by Howard, Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment, and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, and received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

<i>Identity Unknown</i> (1945 film) 1945 film by Walter Colmes

Identity Unknown is a 1945 American war film starring Richard Arlen and Cheryl Walker, and directed by Walter Colmes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lois Lane (1978 film series character)</span> Fictional character in Superman films

Lois Lane is a fictional character portrayed by Canadian-born actress Margot Kidder in the Warner Bros. Superman film series produced by Ilya and Alexander Salkind, and is an adaption of the original comic book character, Lois Lane. Kidder played Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). The role proved to be Kidder's most notable, catapulting her to international fame, and this iteration of Lois Lane has been considered one of the most iconic love interests in superhero films.

References

  1. ↑ True Identity at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ "Making a Serious Comedy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  3. ↑ "Lenny Henry --The Man in the Irony Mask : Movies: The British comedian finds the transition from black to white for his role in 'True Identity' an illuminating experience". The Los Angeles Times . 1991-08-24. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  4. ↑ "True Identity". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  5. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (1991-08-23). "Movie Review : A Mistaken 'Identity' From Lane". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  6. ↑ James, Caryn (1991-08-23). "Review/Film; A British Comedian Abroad, in 'True Identity'". The New York Times . Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  7. ↑ "Lenny Henry interview". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
  8. ↑ Fox, David J. (1991-08-27). "Weekend Box Office : List-Toppers Are Listless". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2011-01-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.