"Being John Malkovich"

with John Cusack

Viewed August 19, 2000

This movie was VERY unusual, causing several short-circuits in cranial pathways of several participants tonight. However, there was no lack of good, challenging questions that came out of it. I actually liked the movie a lot, though it's really hard to describe what it's about.

We ended up talking a lot about jealousy and how intimate we're willing to allow ourselves to be. For all of us, it seemed that establishing deeper connections is simultaneously frightening and satisfying, so it's no wonder that sometimes we find ourselves feeling mixed feelings about trusting people enough to let them in.

Here are the questions:

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH

  1. What stops me from being who I want to be?
  2. What things attract me to people who, intentionally or unintentionally, are damaging to me?
  3. What holds me back from trusting enough to let myself become intimate with people?
  4. If I could wave a magic wand, how would my life be different? What would I change about myself?
  5. In what ways have I let myself be taken over by someone else's life/goals/dreams?
  6. How comfortable am I being honest about my masculine and feminine sides?
  7. What role does jealousy play in my relationships?
  8. How can I know for sure that I want to be the person I think I want to be?
  9. How much am I willing to give myself up, so that I can have a romance?