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Adaptation.

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

2002-12-06 Comedy 1hr 55m

Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman, Orlean's book, become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the others'.

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Adaptation.
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Storyline

Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman, Orlean's book, become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the others'.

  • Released
    2002-12-06
  • Revenue
    $32,800,000
  • Budget
    $19,000,000
  • Runtime
    1hr 55m
  • Genre
    Comedy, Crime, Drama
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English, Latin
  • imdb-logo
    7.7
  • Production
    Columbia Pictures, Propaganda Films, Good Machine, Intermedia, Beverly Detroit Studios, Clinica Estetico

Crew

Spike Jonze
Director
Charlie Kaufman
Screenplay
Jonathan Demme
Producer

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Cast

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage

Charlie Kaufman / Donald 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
Jim Beaver

Jim Beaver

Ranger Tony
Cara Seymour

Cara Seymour

Amelia Kavan
Doug Jones

Doug Jones

Augustus Margary
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

Agnes NaDene Baddoo

Orlean Dinner Guest
Paul Fortune

Paul Fortune

Orlean Dinner Guest
Paul Jasmin

Paul Jasmin

Orlean Dinner Guest
Lisa Love

Lisa Love

Orlean Dinner Guest
Wendy Mogel

Wendy Mogel

Orlean Dinner Guest
David O. Russell

David O. Russell

Orlean Dinner Guest
Judy Greer

Judy Greer

Alice the Waitress
Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Caroline Cunningham
Bob Yerkes

Bob Yerkes

Charles Darwin
Lynn Court

Lynn Court

Laroche’s Dad
Roger E. Fanter

Roger E. Fanter

Laroche’s Uncle
Sandra Lee Gimpel

Sandra Lee Gimpel

Laroche’s Mom
Caron Colvett

Caron Colvett

Laroche’s Wife
Ron Livingston

Ron Livingston

Marty Bowen
Brian Cox

Brian Cox

Robert McKee
John Etter

John Etter

McKee Lecture Attendee
Ray Berrios

Ray Berrios

Police Officer
Nancy Lenehan

Nancy Lenehan

Kaufman’s Mother
John Cusack

John Cusack

John Cusack (uncredited)
Catherine Keener

Catherine Keener

Catherine Keener (uncredited)
John Malkovich

John Malkovich

John Malkovich (uncredited)
Curt Clendenin

Curt Clendenin

Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Donald Dowd

Donald Dowd

Cafe Customer (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

Adaptation.
Adaptation.
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Adaptation.

Movie Reviews

Reviews for Adaptation.
reviewer avatar

A Review by Ruuz 5

Written by Ruuz on 2020-07-26

I'm reacting the way the world does to movies about making movies about making movies. I mean come on, Charlie Kaufman, some of us have work... read more

I'm reacting the way the world does to movies about making movies about making movies. I mean come on, Charlie Kaufman, some of us have work in the morning, damn. _Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal._

reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 7

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2022-04-18

When you watch some of Nicolas Cage's more recent stuff you do wonder how on earth he ever became a star in the first place. Well, this is o... read more

When you watch some of Nicolas Cage's more recent stuff you do wonder how on earth he ever became a star in the first place. Well, this is one of the films that reminds us why. He is a struggling screenwriter ("Charlie") charged with adapting a novel about orchids written by "Susan Orlean" (Meryl Streep). Mental block would be putting it mildly - he simply has no idea how to make it work for "Valerie" (easily one of the less abstruse roles played by Tilda Swinton). Moreover, he is constantly hassled by his twin brother "Donald" who is writing his own story - one that his sibling thinks is riddled with flaws and inconsistencies. The book he must adapt centres around the activities of "Laroche" (Chris Cooper) who had a habit of going with his Seminole pals to remove rare plants from a nature reserve. Illegal? Well not if you know your way around the Floridian penal code, and the ensuing court case is what entices "New Yorker" reporter "Orlean" to write his story. Initially sceptical of her rather uncouth subject matter - not helped by his missing front teeth, she discovers there is much more to the man and his provision of a green powder soon helps her to relax! What now ensues nicely marries the threads of the storylines as both Cage characters, an excellently enigmatic Cooper, and the unfulfilled Miss Streep find themselves gradually drawn together for an admittedly pretty far-fetched denouement (pronounce denooeymont). Cage plays the two characters with considerable skill; he juggles his characters' frustrations with his writing, his love life, his brother and his own reluctance to meet the author engagingly and at times he can make you squirm in your seat a bit. There is plenty of humour, and the all but two hours just flies by. If nothing else, it does make you appreciate just how difficult is is to turn a novel into a film - and might explain why so few people are actually any good at it!

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by Gimly

I'm reacting the way the world does to movies about making movies about making movies. I mean come on, Charlie Kaufman, some of us have work in the morning, damn. _Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal._...

reviewer avatar

A Review by Ruuz 5

Written by Ruuz on 2020-07-26

I'm reacting the way the world does to movies about making movies about making movies. I mean come on, Charlie Kaufman, some of us have work in the morning, damn. _Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for ...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 7

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2022-04-18

When you watch some of Nicolas Cage's more recent stuff you do wonder how on earth he ever became a star in the first place. Well, this is one of the films that reminds us why. He is a struggling scre...

read more