|
The Number 23 (2007) 6.4
Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him. As his obsession increases, more and more similarities seem to arise. Director:Joel SchumacherWriter:Fernley Phillips |
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
10 Best Action Heroes
We consulted IMDb's Highest-Rated Action-Family Films to came up with 10 scene-stealing action figures your kids can relate to, look up to, and be inspired by.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Related Items
Search for "The Number 23" on Amazon.com
Share this Rating
Title: The Number 23 (2007)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
5 nominations.
See more awards »
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Me, Myself & Irene
(2000)
Comedy
Directors:
Bobby Farrelly,
Peter Farrelly
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Renée Zellweger,
Anthony Anderson
Yes Man
(2008)
Comedy
|
Romance
Director:
Peyton Reed
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Zooey Deschanel,
Bradley Cooper
Bruce Almighty
(2003)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Fantasy
Director:
Tom Shadyac
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Jennifer Aniston,
Morgan Freeman
The Mask
(1994)
Comedy
|
Fantasy
Director:
Chuck Russell
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Cameron Diaz,
Peter Riegert
Fun with Dick and Jane
(2005)
Comedy
|
Crime
Director:
Dean Parisot
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Téa Leoni,
Alec Baldwin
Adventure
|
Comedy
Director:
Steve Oedekerk
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Ian McNeice,
Simon Callow
Liar Liar
(1997)
Comedy
|
Fantasy
Director:
Tom Shadyac
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Maura Tierney,
Justin Cooper
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
(1994)
Comedy
Director:
Tom Shadyac
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Courteney Cox,
Sean Young
The Cable Guy
(1996)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Ben Stiller
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Matthew Broderick,
Leslie Mann
Dumb & Dumber
(1994)
Comedy
Directors:
Peter Farrelly,
Bobby Farrelly
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Jeff Daniels,
Lauren Holly
I Love You Phillip Morris
(2009)
Biography
|
Comedy
|
Crime
Directors:
Glenn Ficarra,
John Requa
Stars:
Jim Carrey,
Ewan McGregor,
Leslie Mann
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jim Carrey | ... | ||
| Virginia Madsen | ... | ||
| Logan Lerman | ... | ||
| Danny Huston | ... | ||
| Lynn Collins | ... |
Suicide Blonde /
Mrs. Dobkins /
Young Fingerling's Mother
|
|
| Rhona Mitra | ... |
Laura Tollins
|
|
| Michelle Arthur | ... |
Sybil
|
|
| Mark Pellegrino | ... |
Kyle Flinch
|
|
| Paul Butcher | ... | ||
| David Stifel | ... |
Hotel Clerk
|
|
| Corey Stoll | ... |
Sergeant Burns
|
|
| Ed Lauter | ... |
Father Sebastian
|
|
| Troy Kotsur | ... |
Barnaby
|
|
 |
Walter Soo Hoo | ... |
Chinese Restaurant Owner
|
| Patricia Belcher | ... |
Dr. Alice Mortimer
|
|
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
On his birthday, Walter Sparrow, an amiable dog-catcher, takes a call that leaves him dog bit and late to pick up his wife. She's browsed in a bookstore, finding a blood-red-covered novel, a murder mystery with numerology that loops constantly around the number 23. The story captivates Walter: he dreams it, he notices aspects of his life that can be rendered by "23," he searches for the author, he stays in the hotel (in room 23) where events in the novel took place, and he begins to believe it was no novel. His wife and son try to help him, sometimes in sympathy, sometimes to protect him. Slowly, with danger to himself and to his family, he closes in on the truth. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
The truth will find you. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for violence, disturbing images, sexuality and language | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
23 February 2007 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Número 23 See more »Box Office
Budget:
$32,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
£1,206,087 (UK) (23 February 2007)Gross:
$35,063,732 (USA) (23 March 2007)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (cut)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Walter Sparrow: A week ago, the only thing I thought was out of the ordinary was that it was my birthday.
See more »
Written by David Sylvian and Burnt Friedman (as Bernd Friedmann)
Performed by Nine Horses
Courtesy of Samadhisound LLC
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Other instances of the number 23 connected (sometimes very tenuously) with the movie:- The last time Jim Carrey and Joel Schumacher worked together was in "Batman Forever." In that film, Carrey's character (the Riddler) also showed an obsession for numbers, which he used to represent letters of the alphabet in his riddles. The numbers were 1, 8, and 5. Batman figured out that 1 and 8 were meant to be 18. 18 + 5 = 23.
- The number 23 is a W, and in "Batman Forever" there is a scene of Carrey underneath a W (the gate outside Wayne Manor).
- The address of the bookstore is 599. 5+9+9=23.
- The number of letters in "Animal Control Department".
- The apartment number across from the suicide blonde's apartment (959).
- The dog in the movie is named NED. N is the 14th letter of the alphabet; E is the fifth; and D is the fourth. 14 + 5 + 4 = 23.
- The numbers on Walter's car add up to 23 (906 8TC, 9+0+6+8=23, 20(T)+3(C)=23) .
- The numbers on Issac's car is 023 5HJ, H is the eight letter in the alphabet and J is the tenth, 5 + 8(H) + 10(J) = 23.
- The store front numbers that Fingerling is standing in front of while watching Fabrizia & Phoenix add to 23 (12, and 110).
- The film was released in the US on February 23, 2007.
- The number of Walter Sparrow's footlocker 85307 = 23 (8+5+3+7).
- The PO Box that Carrey and his family mail the boxes to is "P.O.Box 977". 9+7+7=23.
- His birthday is February the 3rd, 2/3, 23.
Goofs
When Agatha enters the Nathaniel Institute, it is dark outside, but when we see her again in the doctor's office, bright light is shining through the windows. When she leaves again it is dark. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Walter Sparrow: A week ago, the only thing I thought was out of the ordinary was that it was my birthday.
See more »
Soundtracks
The Banality of EvilWritten by David Sylvian and Burnt Friedman (as Bernd Friedmann)
Performed by Nine Horses
Courtesy of Samadhisound LLC
See more »
I like Jim Carrey, not because he is a comedian, but because he emerged as a serious actor in attempting to select good roles that will give him the variety of dimensions to display his talent.
The story of the movie is about a happy married man Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) and his wife Agatha (Virginia Madsen) and son Robin (Logan Lerman). One day as a gift his wife presents him with a novel The Number 23. On reading it Walter realizes the similarities the novel has with his life. The novel turns out to be a thriller with a murder mystery. Walter gets engaged into the paranoia of number 23 and tries to find a running parallel in real life to identify the characters and solve the murder mystery. Like a detective Walter traces the murderer and unknown writer of the novel. One clue leads to another, and another – until the end, the real murderer is exposed. I won't tell you the secret. Just a clue that the novel is written by someone named Topsy Eret.
The narrative of the movie is a bit puzzling, and I think the Director Joel Schumacher must have intentionally worked on it that way. Why I say this is because after the movie got over, I had the urge to see the movie again to understand the early half properly, and get more clarity in why the story is told in this manner and how the events are unfolded. But will I go and see the movie again, not really.
The movie is good, but not brilliant. It eclipse on the fringe areas of brilliance but falls shorts due to its direction. In the past Joel Schumacher has struggled to make commercially successful movie even with a good storyline on his hand. Here too he flounders. The saving grace of this thriller is one and only – Jim Carrey, who carries the whole burden of this movie on his shoulder, and makes us believe in the magical number 23.
After seeing the movie, I remembered my Dad who has paranoia of number 5. The amazing past time my Dad and Mom together had was when they found ways to add, subtract, multiply and divide any number to arrive at an answer that was 5. It is a unique ability and obviously paranoia. But it is amusing.
The same paranoia has been presented here with a mysterious thriller storyline. To some extend the director achieves success to telling us this novel story of number 23.
Jim Carrey looks haggard with age, but has played the character brilliantly. Virginia Madsen and Logan Lerman have acted decently but nothing worth historic to mention here.
Go and see it if you are a Jim Carrey fan or if you have a fascination for NUMBERS, both ways you will enjoy this movie.
(Stars 6 out of 10)