Twin Falls Idaho (1999)
82%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 7 nominations
Twin Falls Idaho is a film that is both haunting and beautiful, with a sensitivity to its lead characters that is rarely seen in cinema. The Polish brothers have created a world that is both strange and familiar, with a genuine emotional weight that gives the film its quiet lessons about love, acceptance, and separation. While some may find the lack of plot and conflict frustrating, I find it refreshing to see a movie that is more interested in regarding particular lives than in telling a traditional story. With echoes of Lynch’s The Elephant Man and a thematic connection to Dead Ringers and A Zed & Two Noughts, Twin Falls Idaho is a unique and unforgettable film that deserves to be seen by anyone who loves cinema that is both intelligent and weird.
Twin Falls Idaho is a movie that’s as unique as the name of the town it’s set in. Critics seem to be divided on whether it’s a masterpiece or a miss, but one thing’s for sure – it’s definitely not your average Hollywood flick. The movie follows the story of conjoined twins who are trying to navigate their way through life and love. It’s a touching and sometimes haunting tale that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll. So if you’re in the mood for something a little different, give Twin Falls Idaho a try – just don’t expect any explosions or car chases!
Production Company(ies)
Chernin Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Turnpike Films,
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, LK-TEL, Bac Films, Sony Pictures Classics, VCL Communications GmbH [de], Daiei Motion Picture Co. Ltd. [jp], Columbia TriStar Home Video
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Lacy Street
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 50m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 9, 2016
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Polish, Mark Polish, Michele Hicks, Jon Gries, Patrick Bauchau, Garrett Morris,
directed by Michael Polish,
written by Mark Polish, Michael Polish,
drama,
$985.3K box office,
R rating,
reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Kevin Thomas, Ben Falk, James Berardinelli, Roger Ebert, Susan Stark, Anderson Jones, Michael Dequina, Anton Bitel, Robin Clifford, Judith Egerton, Luke Y Thompson,
produced by Steven J Wolfe, Marshall Persinger, Rena Ronson,
conjoined twins, seduction, stranded woman, nursing, sickness, lawyer, doctor, Jesus, love, acceptance, separation, debut film, indie, art house
Worldwide gross: $985,341
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,708,991
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,454
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 186,368
US/Canada gross: $985,341
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,708,991
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,075
US/Canada opening weekend: $49,849
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $86,459
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,994
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $867,208
Production budget ranking: 2,095
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $466,991
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $374,792
ROI to date (est.): 28%
ROI ranking: 1,251
Mark Polish – Blake Falls
Michele Hicks – Penny
Jon Gries – Lawyer Jay Harrison
Patrick Bauchau – Miles, a Doctor
Garrett Morris – Jesus
Director(s)
Michael Polish
Writer(s)
Mark Polish, Michael Polish
Producer(s)
Steven J. Wolfe, Marshall Persinger, Rena Ronson
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (10)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A-
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 4.5/5
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/5
Ben Falk
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
I have a special feeling for movies that want to forget about plot and conflict, and spend their time instead in regarding particular lives.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/4
Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Clichés abound, but the film comes from a genuine place (these guys know their material), which gives emotional weight to its quiet lessons about love, acceptance, and separation.
April 19, 2022
Anderson Jones
The Advocate
What makes it so haunting is the sensitivity to its lead characters and their unusual plight.
October 13, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
shares its themes with Dead Ringers and A Zed & Two Noughts, even if it is not as disturbing as the former, as downright weird as the latter, or as intelligent as either.
August 10, 2007
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film
April 9, 2005 | Rating: B-
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
Shares some themes with Lynch’s The Elephant Man.
July 1, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
The Polish brothers make an auspicous debut, and establish a tone — like it or not, they’ve delivered on it since then.
January 8, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times…
Plot
Francis and Blake Falls are conjoined twins who live in a neat little room in a rundown hotel. While sharing some organs, Blake is always fit and Francis is very sickly. Into their world comes a young lady, who turns their world upside down. She gets involved with Blake, and convinces the two to attend a Halloween party, where they can pass themselves off as wearing a costume. Eventually Francis becomes really ill, and they have to be separated. They then face the physical and mental strains that come from their proposed separation. Viewers will be inclined to believe that the two are really Siamese twins, but in fact they are simply real-life brothers playing the parts convincingly.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have anything particularly goofy or odd to say about Twin Falls Idaho, but they do mention that the film stars Michael and Mark Polish, who are real-life identical twins.
Michael-Polish.jpg
