Isn't That John Cusack? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Being John Malkovich

John Cusack is Craig Scwhartz who doesn't have a lot going for him. His marriage to Lotte (Cameron Diaz) is simply going through the motions and his job, that he is passionate about, as a puppeteer, does not pay the bills. He takes a job at LesterCorp as a filing clerk to supplement his income. Two things happen here; he gets the hots for a co-worker named Maxine (Christine Keener) and he discovers a hidden doorway which lands him in the mind of John Malkovich.

He reveals this to his wife, Lotte, and to Maxine who both enter the actor's mind. Lotte becomes obsessed with it and creates a money making scheme with the portal. Things start to get a little weird when Maxine sets up a date with John Malkovich and Lotte and Maxine get the hots for each other... but only when Lotte is inside Malkovich. Then, John Malkovich discovers what is going on.

This quirky piece of fantasy was released in 1999 and received three Oscar nominations. One for Catherine Keener in her role as Maxine but the two stand outs were the call for Spike Jonze as Best Director and Charlie Kaufman for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Why outstanding? It was the first time in the director's chair for Jonze and it was Kaufman's debut script for the big screen.

Answer: The Grifters

This gritty 1990 neo-noir crime thriller was based on Jim Thompson's 1963 novel of the same name.

Anjelica Houston is Lilly Dillon, a grifter who works for a mob bookmaker, placing large bets so that the odds on longshots are reduced. What we don't know immediately is that she has been skimming money off the top and hiding it in the boot/trunk of her car. On her way to the next job she stops to visit her son Roy (John Cusack) who has spent his time running some small time scams. She finds him at the end of one that has gone horribly wrong and has to rush Roy to the hospital.

At the hospital she meets Roy's latest girlfriend, Myra (Annette Bening), and is not impressed. On his release from hospital Roy takes Myra on a train trip to La Jolla in San Diego. Myra, whom Roy does not know is a con artist, sees Roy run a scam on a couple of sailors. She endeavours to lure him into a long con but he refuses and, when Myra presses, he strikes her. Myra's now out for blood and, when she uncovers what Lilly has done, she lures her to a motel with a view to kill her and take her cash.

Roy is called to the motel by police to identify the body they believe is his mother. Is it Roy's mother? Has Roy's mother turned the tables on Myra? Will Roy get his hands on the money? I won't spoil it for you. The film was declared one of the Top 10 films of 1990 by The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Anjelica Huston received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and Annette Bening received a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. They would lose out to Kathy Bates ("Misery") and Whoopi Goldberg ("Ghost") respectively.

Answer: Grosse Pointe Blank

This is a delicious black comedy that was directed by George Armitage and released in 1997. John Cusack plays Martin Blank, a professional assassin who failed to make his last hit look like the client had died of natural causes and is now called upon to make amends.

His new hit is to be a Federal witness who lives near his old home town of Grosse Pointe. Coincidentally, his old high school is holding a ten year re-union that Martin's assistant is pushing him to attend. The world soon starts to close in on Martin... he finds that he needs to reconcile with an old flame, Debi Newberry, played by Minnie Driver. She's not making it easy because he stood her up at the school prom ten years prior. A rival hitman, Grocer, wickedly portrayed by Dan Aykroyd, wants him to join his union, the NSA has been tipped off about his hit and are stalking him and another hitman is in town looking to take him out for accidentally killing a dog during a previous hit.

After procrastinating about the hit, Martin finally opens the file to discover that the target is Debi's father. What is he to do? Will he take the contract or will he try and save him? The movie was met with positive reviews and boasts a cracking soundtrack, with a score composed by former Clash front-man Joe Strummer.

Answer: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

This film was one of five films that John Cusack was involved in that were released in 1997. This one was artfully directed by Clint Eastwood.

Cusack's John Kelso is a magazine writer who goes to Savannah, Georgia to write a piece on an annual Christmas party conducted James Williams, played by Kevin Spacey. Williams' fortune was self-made and he has endeared himself to the town as a bon vivant (social butterfly), to go with his passions for art, antiques and other men. When his lover, Billy Hanson (Jude Law) is found dead, the finger is pointed at Williams. What follows is the trial and a cavalcade of eccentric characters. Kelso stays on to follow the trial. The question is, does he discover the real truth behind the murder?

Answer: Say Anything

This 1989 teen romance was Cameron Crowe's debut as a director and the movie had the distinction of being rated, at the time, by Entertainment Weekly as "the greatest modern movie romance".

John Cusack is slacker Lloyd Dobler who, as a high school student, had a report card that constantly said "could do better". Diane Court (Ione Skye), on the other hand, is the school's valedictorian and has been offered a scholarship to a prestigious learning establishment... across the seas, in Britain. Lloyd falls for Diane but the problem is that they are from different social backgrounds and when Lloyd meets with Diane's father (Jim, played by John Mahoney), he is not impressed at all. Lloyd and Diane become intimate but Diane, under pressure from her father, soon breaks off the romance.

To complicate the matter, the IRS is investigating Diane's father and, knowing what they know, urge her to accept the scholarship. Do Lloyd and Diane get back together... I won't tell you but, as a hint, what follows is that iconic scene where Lloyd stands beneath Diane's window with a boombox above his head, using Peter Gabriel to serenade her with the song "In Your Eyes".

Answer: Pushing Tin

"Pushing Tin" is a 1999 comedy drama that is set in the world of air traffic control. Whilst the film received positive reviews (despite its sugar coated ending), the movie failed miserably at the box office.

John Cusack is cocky air traffic controller Nick "The Zone" Falzone, who is the king in one of the busiest and most stressful air control centres in the country. Billy Bob Thornton arrives as Russell Bell and soon proves that he has the mettle to perform within this environment, so much so that Nick starts to feel threatened by his presence.

Nick happens to run into Russell's wife, Mary played by Angeline Jolie, who is distressed about the contents of her shopping trolley... it's full of booze. He consoles her, takes her to her home and consolation leads to copulation. Soon after, Mary informs Nick that she has told her husband about their affair and that, as a result, it has improved her relationship with Russell. From this point onward Nick becomes fearful of reprisal and every action Russell takes is treated with suspicion by Nick.

The story builds to Nick's own marriage dissolving, a bomb threat that threatens the lives of Nick and Russell and Russell teaching Nick the secrets to finding peace within his world.

Answer: Bullets Over Broadway

This 1994 black comedy was written and directed by Woody Allen. It centres on an idealistic young playwright, John Cusack's David Shayne, who is trying to fund a production that he has written. He gets the funding with the aid of a local mobster but as part of the deal he is required to hire the mobster's talent-less girlfriend, Olive, played by Jennifer Tilly. His pains are soothed when he finds out that he has also gained the services of Helen Sinclair (Diane Wiest), who was brilliant in her day but whose star is now fading, thanks to her love of alcohol.

Olive shows up for rehearsals with Cheech, a swarthy bodyguard who never learned to read. This causes tension with Shayne and, more so, when Cheech starts to feed him lines, that Cheech feels should be used in the show. The thing is, the lines are brilliant and when they are implemented the cast responds that they're work of genius. Cheech's influence grows to the point that he wants his boss's girlfriend fired. When Shayne explains this cannot be done, Cheech kills her.

This all comes to a head on opening night. Cheech is killed by the mobster's henchmen but not before he whispers a closing line for the show to Shayne. The show is a hit but Shayne comes to understand that he is the one without talent.

For her performance as the drunken, faded star Diane Wiest would win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, nudging out fellow nominee Jennifer Tilly and Chazz Palminteri would also be nominated for Best Supporting Actor as the street-wise bodyguard Cheech.

Answer: Eight Men Out

Based on Eliot Asinof's 1963 book "Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series", this 1988 film is a retelling of the intentional match fixing of the 1919 World Series by eight members of the Chicago White Sox team.

At the time, Chicago was one of the all-time great teams to have graced the baseball field. The problem was that they had a stingy boss, Charles Comiskey, played by Clifton James. He had little intention of rewarding his players should they take off the title. This created an environment into which a couple of shady gamblers, "Sleepy Bill" Burns (Christopher Lloyd) and Billy Maharg (Richard Edson) could step in and induce the players with promises of greater rewards if they would throw the series.

Eight men would get roped into the conspiracy, which included "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (DB Sweeney), though he is rendered in this film as being illiterate and is more coerced into the deal rather than committing of his own free will. John Cusack's Buck Weaver is approached by Burns but rejects the offer, signalling that he is a winner and intends to remain so. He winds up being one of the eight men out as he knew of the conspiracy but failed to inform the officials.

Answer: Con Air

This blockbuster action thriller, released in 1975, was a monster at the box office and featured a bevy of stars. Alongside Cage and Cusack were John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames and Danny Trejo, among others.

Whilst John has a significant role in this film, most of the action is set on the or around the plane and, for most of the film, he isn't around it. Cusack is US Marshall Vince Larkin who is in charge of supervising the transport of a vast array of highly dangerous criminals to a super maximum facility. Fortunately for him, he is not on the plane when it leaves because, led by professional crimal Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich), the plane is hijacked and most of the law enforcement officers are killed. The prisoners then plan to get themselves into a country that has no extradition treaty with the US.

Among the prisoners, and standing in their way, is Cameron Poe (Cage), an Army Ranger and combat veteran, who'd received a ten year jail sentence for killing a gangster who'd attempted to assault his wife. Poe has been paroled and is on the flight to return home to his wife and eight year old daughter who he hasn't seen yet. He finds a rather unusual way of getting a message to Larkin (he drops a body out of the plane with a hand written message pinned to it) and the pair work out a way to foil the prisoners.

The film climaxes with a crash landing on the Las Vegas strip and all the criminals (bar one) are either captured or killed. Notorious serial killer Garland Greene, played by Steve Buscemi, manages to sneak away and is seen playing in one of the casinos.

(Note) I avoided putting John Malkovich as a co-star in the question section, simply to avoid any confusion with the film "Being John Malkovich". Besides, Steve Buscemi provides this film with one of its most chilling moments when he sits down to have a pretend cup of tea with a little girl. Does he kill her? I will let you find out.

Answer: High Fidelity

This 2000 romantic comedy was based on Nick Hornby's book (1995) of the same name. It remains faithful to the book, only the name of lead character's name has been changed and the setting, which shifted from London to Chicago.

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) runs an independent record shop in Chicago and knows a great deal about music. His ability with women though is on a much lower playing field and when Laura (Iben Hjejle), his long-term girlfriend, walks out on him, he starts to question his failures in relationships. To understand why they have failed, he decides to revisit his former girlfriends and explore the issue. Rob eventually comes to realize that it was his problem in not being able to "fully" commit to his relationship with Laura that brought about his downfall.

There are a number of side stories that add depth to this film. There's Rob's record store employees, Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black), who add a level of humour as they constantly bicker among themselves and ridicule their customer's choices in music. They are also armed with an incredible knowledge of music and are constantly compiling "Top 5" lists. Surprisingly they manage to add a level of warmth and valuable insights to the film. There are also two skateboarders, Vince and Justin, who attempt to shoplift some LPs from the store that Rob discovers are musically talented and signs them up. The show climaxes with Barry performing with his band at a club and surprising Rob with their quality.

Some other notable features from this film (not counting the surprise cameo by Bruce Springsteen) are John Cusack regularly breaking the fourth wall and engaging in long stretches of dialogue with the audience. This proves to be a master stroke as it allows his character to put his dilemma and his "confessions" to the audience without the need for contrived story-lines. Finally, after nearly stealing the show in this movie, Jack Black declared this film represented his breakout role.