Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Adaptation.

  • 2002
  • R
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
209K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,786
243
Nicolas Cage in Adaptation. (2002)
A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.
Play trailer2:23
5 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyHigh-Concept ComedyPsychological DramaSatireShowbiz DramaComedyDrama

A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.

  • Director
    • Spike Jonze
  • Writers
    • Susan Orlean
    • Charlie Kaufman
  • Stars
    • Nicolas Cage
    • Meryl Streep
    • Chris Cooper
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    209K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,786
    243
    • Director
      • Spike Jonze
    • Writers
      • Susan Orlean
      • Charlie Kaufman
    • Stars
      • Nicolas Cage
      • Meryl Streep
      • Chris Cooper
    • 807User reviews
    • 121Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 67 wins & 100 nominations total

    Videos5

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:23
    Official Trailer
    Adaptation.
    Trailer 2:28
    Adaptation.
    Adaptation.
    Trailer 2:28
    Adaptation.
    Adaptation.
    Trailer 2:32
    Adaptation.
    Adaptation.
    Trailer 2:26
    Adaptation.
    Adaptation: Epk
    Featurette 2:27
    Adaptation: Epk

    Photos160

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 154
    View Poster

    Top cast54

    Edit
    Nicolas Cage
    Nicolas Cage
    • Charlie Kaufman…
    Meryl Streep
    Meryl Streep
    • Susan Orlean
    Chris Cooper
    Chris Cooper
    • John Laroche
    Tilda Swinton
    Tilda Swinton
    • Valerie Thomas
    Jay Tavare
    Jay Tavare
    • Matthew Osceola
    Litefoot
    Litefoot
    • Russell
    • (as G. Paul Davis)
    Roger Willie
    Roger Willie
    • Randy
    Jim Beaver
    Jim Beaver
    • Ranger Tony
    Cara Seymour
    Cara Seymour
    • Amelia Kavan
    Doug Jones
    Doug Jones
    • Augustus Margary
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    • Ranger Steve Neely
    • (scenes deleted)
    Gary Farmer
    Gary Farmer
    • Buster Baxley
    Peter Jason
    Peter Jason
    • Defense Attorney
    Gregory Itzin
    Gregory Itzin
    • Prosecutor
    Curtis Hanson
    Curtis Hanson
    • Orlean's Husband
    Agnes NaDene Baddoo
    • Orlean Dinner Guest
    • (as Agnes Badoo)
    Paul Fortune
    Paul Fortune
    • Orlean Dinner Guest
    Paul Jasmin
    • Orlean Dinner Guest
    • Director
      • Spike Jonze
    • Writers
      • Susan Orlean
      • Charlie Kaufman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Being John Malkovich
    7.7
    Being John Malkovich
    Synecdoche, New York
    7.5
    Synecdoche, New York
    Anomalisa
    7.2
    Anomalisa
    Leaving Las Vegas
    7.5
    Leaving Las Vegas
    Human Nature
    6.4
    Human Nature
    Matchstick Men
    7.3
    Matchstick Men
    I'm Thinking of Ending Things
    6.5
    I'm Thinking of Ending Things
    Magnolia
    8.0
    Magnolia
    Barton Fink
    7.6
    Barton Fink
    Adaptation
    7.9
    Adaptation
    Punch-Drunk Love
    7.3
    Punch-Drunk Love
    A Serious Man
    7.0
    A Serious Man

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Nicolas Cage has said that during the filming of this movie, he ignored all of his acting instincts and played the part of Charlie Kaufman exactly as director Spike Jonze asked him to. He then received an Academy Award nomination for it.
    • Goofs
      When Susan is brushing her teeth, the sound of brushing continues when she has already stopped. This was done on purpose to show the effects of the drug kicking in.
    • Quotes

      Charlie Kaufman: There was this time in high school. I was watching you out the library window. You were talking to Sarah Marsh.

      Donald Kaufman: Oh, God. I was so in love with her.

      Charlie Kaufman: I know. And you were flirting with her. And she was being really sweet to you.

      Donald Kaufman: I remember that.

      Charlie Kaufman: Then, when you walked away, she started making fun of you with Kim Canetti. And it was like they were laughing at *me*. You didn't know at all. You seemed so happy.

      Donald Kaufman: I knew. I heard them.

      Charlie Kaufman: How come you looked so happy?

      Donald Kaufman: I loved Sarah, Charles. It was mine, that love. I owned it. Even Sarah didn't have the right to take it away. I can love whoever I want.

      Charlie Kaufman: But she thought you were pathetic.

      Donald Kaufman: That was her business, not mine. You are what you love, not what loves you. That's what I decided a long time ago. What's up?

      Charlie Kaufman: [stunned] Thank you.

    • Crazy credits
      "We're all one thing, Lieutenant. That's what I've come to realize. Like cells in a body. 'Cept we can't see the body. The way fish can't see the ocean. And so we envy each other. Hurt each other. Hate each other. How silly is that? A heart cell hating a lung cell." - Cassie from THE THREE
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Best Films of 2002 (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      One Part Lullaby
      Written by John Davis, Lou Barlow and Wally Gagel

      Published by Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc. o/b/o itself, Endless Soft Hits, Loobiecore and Blisswg Productions

      Performed by The Folk Implosion

      Courtesy of Interscope Records

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews807

    Featured review
    9/10

    Cage redeemed.

    A brilliant, original film, hilariously funny almost all the way through, which is why the end seems disjointed and a bit out of sync with the rest of the film...until you consider McKee's advice to Kaufman, the success of Donald's cliched script, and the pressure on Charlie Kaufman (in the film) to finish the script. So it suddenly becomes a thriller, there's drama added to a genuinely moving story and characters, and it seems to rush towards its ending unprepared. But that's the whole postmodern element of the film - is it deliberately bad and pat (like the Player - a much lesser film that doesn't stand up after repeated viewing)?

    Anyway, Cage is fantastic in this - really if the Oscars were about acting, he should have got it for articulating two characters brilliantly. After the mess of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, it's some achievement.

    A must see - but you need to engage your brain for this!
    • continuo
    • Jul 26, 2003
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ21

    • How long is Adaptation.?Powered by Alexa
    • Is Donald imaginary and an aspect of Charlie's multiple personality disorder?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 14, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Pictures
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • El ladrón de orquídeas
    • Filming locations
      • Santa Barbara, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Intermedia
      • Magnet Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $22,498,520
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $384,478
      • Dec 8, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $32,802,440
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 55 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Nicolas Cage in Adaptation. (2002)
    Top Gap
    What is the Hindi language plot outline for Adaptation. (2002)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.