Adaptation. (2002)

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 (book), Charlie Kaufman (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper

Won 1 Oscar. Another 64 wins & 100 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 (1999) 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 ...

---

Plot Keywords:

magical realism | metafiction | voice over inner thoughts | meta film | loner | 

---

Taglines:

Charlie Kaufman writes the way he lives... With Great Difficulty. His Twin Brother Donald Lives the way he writes... with foolish abandon. Susan writes about life... But can't live it. John's life is a book... Waiting to be adapted. One story... Four Lives... A million ways it can end.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

14 February 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 USA:

$384,478, 8 December 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$22,245,861, 20 April 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beverly Detroit, Clinica Estetico, Good Machine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 81 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the scenes where Charlie Kaufman is on a movie set, the movie being filmed is Being John Malkovich (1999), which was also written by Charlie Kaufman, and directed by Spike Jonze.

---

Goofs

When the accident involving John, his wife, mother, and uncle occurs, the spring holding on the uncle dummy's head, can be seen as the car is pushed to the left.

---

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 ...

---

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 WatchMojo: Top 10 Deus Ex Machina Moments (2015)

---

Soundtracks

Alison
Written and Performed by Elvis Costello
Published by BMG Songs, Inc. o/b/o BMG Music Publishing Ltd.
Courtesy of Rhino Entertainment Company/Elvis Costello Music
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products and Courtesy of Elvis Costello Ltd.
Under license from Demon Music Group Ltd.

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...