Adaptation. (2002)

A lovelorn screenwriter turns to his less talented twin brother for help when his efforts to adapt a non-fiction book go nowhere.

Director:

Spike Jonze

Writers:

Susan Orlean (book), Charlie Kaufman (screenplay),

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Tilda Swinton, Meryl Streep

Won 1 Oscar. Another 49 wins & 54 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman
Tilda Swinton	...	Valerie Thomas
Meryl Streep	...	Susan Orlean
Chris Cooper	...	John Laroche
Jay Tavare	...	Matthew Osceola
Litefoot	...	Russell (as G. Paul Davis)
Roger Willie	...	Randy
Jim Beaver	...	Ranger Tony
Cara Seymour	...	Amelia Kavan
Doug Jones	...	Augustus Margary
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Ranger Steve Neely (scenes deleted)
Gary Farmer	...	Buster Baxley
Peter Jason	...	Defense Attorney
Gregory Itzin	...	Prosecutor
Curtis Hanson	...	Orlean's Husband

Storyline

While his latest movie Being John Malkovich is in production, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is hired by Valerie Thomas to adapt Susan Orlean's non-fiction book "The Orchid Thief" for the screen. Thomas bought the movie rights before Orlean wrote the book, when it was only an article in The New Yorker. The book details the story of rare orchid hunter John Laroche, whose passion for orchids and horticulture made Orlean discover passion and beauty for the first time in her life. Charlie wants to be faithful to the book in his adaptation, but despite Laroche himself being an interesting character in his own right, Charlie is having difficulty finding enough material in Laroche to fill a movie, while equally not having enough to say cinematically about the beauty of orchids. At the same time, Charlie is going through other issues in his life. His insecurity as a person doesn't allow him to act upon his feelings for Amelia Kavan, who is interested in him as a man. And Charlie's twin brother,...

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Plot Keywords:

orchid | book | screenwriter | thief | twin | 

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Taglines:

From the creator of Being John Malkovich, comes the story about the creator of Being John Malkovich.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexuality, some drug use and violent images

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia-TriStar [de] Official site [kr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

10 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Orchid Thief

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Center Studios - 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$21,240 (Hong Kong) (6 June 2003)

Gross:

$89,971 (Hong Kong) (13 June 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beverly Detroit, Clinica Estetico, Good Machine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 81 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Robert McKee played by Brian Cox, is a real script guru, Robert McKee, who suggested Cox as his on-screen counterpart.

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Goofs

Immediately before Charlie Kaufman has a tantrum in the New York hotel room, the lamp to the right of the bed can be seen leaning against the wall in the corner, but it is standing upright before he knocks it over in the next shot.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Charlie Kaufman: [voiceover] Do I have an original thought in my head? My bald head. Maybe if I were happier, my hair wouldn't be falling out. Life is short. I need to make the most of it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I'm a walking cliché. I really need to go to the doctor and have my leg checked. There's something wrong. A bump. The dentist called again. I'm way overdue. If I stop putting things off, I would be happier. All I do is sit on my fat ass. If my ass wasn't fat I would ...

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Crazy Credits

Meryl Streep's wardrobe designer is credited as "Mr. Streep's wardrobe"

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Connections

References True Lies (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Dead Melodies"
Written by Beck (as Beck Hansen)
Published by BMG Songs, Inc. o/b/o itself and Cyanide Breathmint
Performed by Beck
Courtesy of Geffen Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Could you be more Original?

Incredible.

Charlie Kaufman might just be the most genius screenwriter (I daren't say ever) at the moment. I mean, trying to adapt a book for a screenplay, not succeeding, yet in the process writing a screenplay about how you can't seem to adapt this book for a screenplay. Oh yeah, and also being helped by your not existing twin brother, and crediting him as co-writer, and being nominatad for an Oscar together with him.

Is anyone following this?

Kaufman seems to be the master of destroying the line between reality and fiction.

I kind of have a hard time saying anything about this movie, because I don't know what to say. You should just go and say it. There's nothing like it.

If you liked Being John Malkovic you wil definitely love this. If you hated BJM you might still like it. It doesn't have the absurdity and surreality of BJM. The story is just incredibly intelligently written.

Even though the movie is about how Kaufman is unable to adapt this book, he actually succeeds in doing just that in the process.

Jesus, I'm still totally stunned.

Jonze does do a very good job once again. But the direction is just outshined by the story...