Mistaken Identity: An Entertaining and Intriguing Movie Twist

Chance (Peter Sellers) amazes socialite (Shirley Maclaine) with his aphorisms, in "Being There." United Artists

A relatively simple storytelling tool that’s surprisingly difficult to execute correctly, the “Mistaken Identity” twist has resulted in some of the most entertaining and intriguing movies ever produced. It’s workable in virtually every genre, but it’s mostly employed in thrillers. It’s also found success in traditional dramas, comedies, noir, sci-fi, Westerns, and character studies.

“The Wrong Man” and “The Man Who Knew Too Much“ are Alfred Hitchcock movies from 1956. The only Hitchcock film based on a true story, “The Wrong Man” stars Henry Fonda as Manny, a struggling musician wrongly accused of robbing two New York City businesses thanks to questionable eyewitness accounts. Manny’s situation goes from bad to worse after he performs poorly during police-orchestrated re-creations of the crimes.

Earlier in the same year, “The Man Who Knew Too Much” was notable as it’s a remake of the almost the same movie Hitchcock released in 1934. In this version, James Stewart and Doris Day play a tad-too-inquisitive married couple traveling through Europe who find themselves in multiple wrong places at the wrong times. The soundtrack includes the debut of Day’s signature song, “Que Sera, Sera.”

Josephine McKenna (Doris Day) and Benjamin McKenna (James Stewart) see more than they expected, in "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Paramount Pictures

Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) runs for his life, in "North by Northwest." Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The final Hitchcock entry is “North by Northwest” (1959), which stars Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill, an ad executive dining at the Oak Room restaurant in New York City. He’s mistaken first for a government agent and then a murderer. Additional coincidental events further muddy the waters, and Thornhill then goes on the lam.

Leave It to Chance

In “Being There” (1979), Peter Sellers stars as Chance, the lifelong gardener of a recently deceased millionaire who is suddenly out of work. Chance is a sheltered savant who only knows life from what he’s seen on TV. After a “chance” encounter with the wife (Shirley MacLaine) of a politically-connected rich guy, the gardener’s simple observations of life are mistakenly perceived as pearls of wisdom.

Produced by Steven Spielberg, “Back to the Future” (1985) catapulted leading man Michael J. Fox into instant superstardom. After mistakenly being transported back in time from the 1980s to the 1950s, Marty (Fox) unwittingly threatens the eventual coupling of his parents. Marty is able to prevent this by stalling when his future mother (Lea Thompson) thinks his name is “Calvin Klein.”

Marty (Michael J. Fox) isn't who his mother thinks he is, in "Back to the Future." Universal Pictures

In Terry Gilliam’s surrealistic sci-fi comedy “Brazil” (1985), Jonathan Pryce stars as a “1984”- inspired government drone. His antiquated and malfunctioning equipment leads to the misspelling of the name of a wanted criminal on a warrant. This leads to the arrest of an innocent man. Gilliam’s equally comically dystopian “12 Monkeys” released a decade later contains many of the same thematic elements.

Director Roman Polanski’s “Frantic” (1988) found him in top form in this Hitchcock-flavored suspense thriller. His recently missing wife (Betty Buckley) claimed the wrong suitcase at a Paris airport; visiting American doctor Richard Walker (Harrison Ford) must team up with the mysterious (supposed) rightful owner of the suitcase (Emmanuelle Seigner) in order to get his wife back.

Ideologically nonpartisan, the political romantic comedy “Dave” (1993) stars Kevin Kline as the affable title character. He’s a dead ringer for the sinister sitting U.S. president Bill Mitchell (also Kline). After Mitchell suffers a stroke while having an affair, Dave is drafted by the Secret Service as a stand in. He’s eventually found out by the suspicious First Lady (Sigourney Weaver). For some, “Dave” might be interpreted as prophetic to real, current day events.

First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) knows who Dave (Kevin Kline) really is, in "Dave." Warner Bros.

Caged

A modern Western noir thriller co-written and directed by John Dahl, “Red Rock West” (1993) stars Nicolas Cage as Michael, a recently discharged Marine. He wanders into a remote Wyoming town looking for work when he is mistaken for a hit man, hired by a bar owner (J.T. Walsh) to kill his wife (Lara Flynn Boyle). When the real hit man (Dennis Hopper) shows up, things get, um, complicated.

Also starring Cage (as criminal Castor Troy) “Face/Off” (1997) is a “double” mistaken identity sci-fi mystery. Troy and detective Sean Archer (John Travolta) have their faces exchanged (yes, you read that right: face transplants). It’s not nearly as out there or ludicrous as that might initially sound. The movie (directed by Hong Kong legend John Woo) is a gonzo and gripping, off-the-chain action thriller.

One of the three or possibly four Coen brothers masterpieces, “The Big Lebowski” (1998), stars Jeff Bridges as the Dude. He’s mistaken for the title character (David Huddleston), also named Jeff Lebowski, a crooked millionaire up to his neck in malfeasance and graft. Co-starring Coen regulars Steve Buscemi and John Goodman as the Dude’s constantly feuding bowling buddies, the movie reveals a little bit more with each subsequent viewing.

(L–R) The Dude (Jeff Bridges) and his pals Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi). in "The Big Lebowski."

Two on the Same Day

Based on the 1955 novel by Patricia Highsmith, Anthony Minghella’s psychological thriller “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999) is a “double but not on purpose” mistaken identity movie. Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is approached by the wealthy father of son Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), now living high on the hog in Europe, in the hopes of bringing him home. Ripley isn’t the guy the father thinks he is, and Ripley has no intention of ever reuniting them.

Released on the same day as “Ripley” and, without perhaps intending to do so, “Galaxy Quest” ended up becoming the best “Star Trek” movie ever made. I don’t make that proclamation lightly. The cast members of a cult favorite “Star Trek”–type TV show can’t get work, so they eke out their livings by appearing at conventions. At one event, they meet real aliens who believe the cast to be real space travelers.

The characters who play in a Star Trek series fall into a real sci-fi adventure, in "Galaxy Quest." Dreamworks Pictures

Intended as an ABC TV pilot, David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” (2001) was summarily rejected by the network upon receipt. Lynch was not deterred and was determined to salvage his project. He wrote a bookend ending to the pilot and turned it into one of the most admired and acclaimed mystery thrillers ever made. It’s a blistering and pointed indictment of Hollywood and the gristmill star-making machine. The film is an unqualified masterpiece.

Steve Carell and Tina Fey star as a married couple attempting to keep the spark alive in the comedy “Date Night,” from 2010. They’re denied a table at a high-end restaurant. They pretend to be another no-show couple that turns out to be targeted by the mob. One lie leads to another, hilarity ensues, and the movie takes many welcomed twists and turns.

The Doppelganger

“Enemy” (2013) was adapted from the 2002 novel, “The Double” by Jose Saramago. This psychological thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a struggling Canadian actor who is stalked by a creepy doppelganger (also Gyllenhaal), a college professor. The two men engage in vicious mind games. On occasion, each pretends to be the other, further escalating their mental one-upmanship.

Unfairly maligned upon release, the 2017 “Blade Runner 2049” (also directed by Villeneuve) stars Ryan Gosling as “K,” whose origins are fuzzy. Like the Decker (Harrison Ford) character in the first installment from 1982, K is charged with hunting down and disposing of replicants (AI machines posing as humans). Ford returns for an extended cameo, as do Edward James Olmos, and Sean Young. New franchise additions include Ana de Armas as K’s girlfriend and Robin Wright as his boss.

What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]