Twin brothers are unknowingly separated at birth; one of them becomes an iconic rock 'n' roll star, while the other struggles to balance his love for music and pleasing his father.Twin brothers are unknowingly separated at birth; one of them becomes an iconic rock 'n' roll star, while the other struggles to balance his love for music and pleasing his father.Twin brothers are unknowingly separated at birth; one of them becomes an iconic rock 'n' roll star, while the other struggles to balance his love for music and pleasing his father.
- Awards
- 1 win
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBlake Rayne is a famous Elvis Presley impersonator. He was cast after one of his performances as Elvis garnered the casting director's attention.
- Goofsin the hospital scene with Jenny on a chair holding a baby, just behind her to the right is a modern surface-mount junction box with RJ45 jacks for Ethernet networking, which was not yet invented.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Louise Wade: [narrating] It was another world, Alabama in 1935. A harder world for sure. Middle of the Depression. Not a job to be found for 100 miles once the cotton was in.
Louise Wade: William and Helen Hemsley would have been better advised to wait before marrying and starting a family. But as they usually do, love and passion got in front of logic and patience. And in obedience with the scripture, the Hemsleys set about the business of being fruitful and multiplying, and starting a whole new life in the big city of Decatur.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Cinematic Excrement: Left Behind (2015)
- SoundtracksAmazing Grace
Written by John Newton
Performed by Nathan Clark George & The Tent Revival Congregation
Traditional
The Identical is another movie about a singing star, in this case a fictional one, and the fans who adore them. However, unlike the proceeding singer movies, like Jersey Boys and Get On Up, this movie diverges from the classical formula and instead gives it a much-needed twist. The Identical starts off with an interesting, albeit overdramatic, opening involving the separation of twin boys, setting up our tale. From there the story focuses on the brother who gets separated, centering on his life as his brother's journey to stardom unfolds. In the shadow of his unknown, though obviously identical, brother Ryan Wade (Blake Rayne) strives to find his place in the world. From boyhood to late adult hood, the audience gets to see Ryan's life develop, going through struggles that his family provides him with in the pursuit of his dream. For once things don't happen overnight, we get to see the gradual rise to fame as Ryan's character develops, and his morals change, kind of like life. Yet throughout the journey, we get to see glimpses of his brother, who also makes great strides to fame, further firing the forge of hope within Ryan. Due to the similarities, Ryan begins to be mistaken for his brother, that sets him on the path to entertaining.
Now this is where the story gets a little hard to swallow, in the fact that nobody put two and two together. Sure, there are imitators who can pull it off, but in the era this movie takes place in surely there could have been a connection of brothers. The amazing fame he gets by being an impersonator was a bit over exaggerated, though in this day and age I can't say it is too far-fetched. Regardless, the coincidental twin thing is reminiscent of the Parent Trap films, though without the fun little pranks. Instead the hijinks are replaced with inspiring morals that are meant to drive you own desire to achieve in life. The underlying theme for Ryan is finding the place he fits in and doing what he loves. In the iconic hero role, Ryan has all the aspects we strive to have, doing things because he likes them, not because of the rewards he can get from them. Such actions are noble, and qualities we can all stand to learn. While some of the scenes are played up, and dare say it preachy, overall the tale is rather inspiring and entertaining. For this reviewer, it was nice to see a singing star actually enjoy his career instead of becoming a pawn to the mayhem of the fame.
However, the thing that really made this movie come to life was the way it was presented. It starts with the main actor Blake Rayne, who's ability to play two characters was rather well done. Yes, one character was essentially low key, but Rayne does a nice job playing the emotional scale. His country twang with his pure, and noble qualities make for a delightfully, positive character that you root for. I felt pure joy watching his journey, hoping only the best would come his way, as his friendly and loyal attitude radiated from him. Then throw in the singing and dancing he have interspersed throughout the movie and you get some toe tapping, upbeat numbers. Yes, these numbers are knock off versions of Elvis songs, in both look and sound, but I think most people will find the numbers entertaining and quite uplifting. The combination of all these qualities makes for a well rounded character that kept me interested the whole time in following his life. Again, there are no flashy tricks, or big time budgets, just some simplistic story telling, and good fun without being too overdone. As for the rest of the cast, they are a great support for Rayne, each character playing an integral part in his life that both challenge and excite him. Of the entire cast, my favorites were Ashley Judd and Erin Cottrell the leading ladies bringing some sass and grounding to the drama. Judd is still as lovely as ever, and is a bridge between rational decision and passion that helps keep Rayne's one character in line. As for Cottrell, her role as the love interest helps drive Rayne's character to takes some big risks, not only driving the story, but also helping to break away from the conservative nature of the rest of the characters.
The Identical is a very fun and passionate film that drives people to shoot for the stars and keep your morals. With great chemistry, fun classic numbers, and a twist to the typical singer story, it's one of the better dramas I have seen in a while. Yes it is a bit preachy, and it does have it's overdone moments, but for the most part this movie has a positive atmosphere with it. It does lack comedy, and originality, but hey, a movie can't have everything perfect about it. So would I recommend this movie? Yes, it was a fun end of the summer film, though I recommend it more as a date night/ girls night out movie if you are going to see it in the theater. Definitely rent it at your home though and enjoy the wholesome adventure.
My scores for the Identical:
Drama/Music: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.5-8.0
- rgkarim
- Sep 6, 2014
- How long is The Identical?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Benzer Sesler
- Filming locations
- Lebanon, Tennesse, USA(fairgrounds)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $16,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,827,666
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,587,137
- Sep 7, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $2,840,991
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1