Adaptation.

Plot synopsis:
John Laroche and his wife run a successful Florida nursery, but tragedy strikes and Laroche's wife, mother and uncle are involved in a car accident. Laroche's mother and uncle are killed immediately, but his wife goes into a coma, divorcing Laroche and suing him once she regains consciousness. One month later, Laroche's home and everything he owns is destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. Meanwhile, local Seminoles hire Laroche due to his vast knowledge of flowers and orchid poaching. However, the Seminoles only use the extract of the Ghost Orchid for illicit drug use, and not for tribal ceremonials as Laroche thought.Laroche is caught at the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and the ensuing trial captures the attention of New Yorker journalist Susan Orlean. Laroche and Susan become great friends, with Susan writing The Orchid Thief. Laroche and Susan then become romantically involved, while Susan is still married, albeit unhappily, in New York. The Orchid Thief is then optioned by Columbia Pictures.During the filming of Being John Malkovich, the self-loathing and social phobic Charlie Kaufman is hired to write the screenplay. At the same time Charlie is going through melancholic depression and his twin brother Donald moves into his house in Los Angeles, mooching off Charlie. Donald decides to become a screenwriter like Charlie, and visits the seminars of Robert McKee. Charlie wants to adapt the script into a faithful adaptation of The Orchid Thief, hoping to impress Susan. However, he realizes that there is no narrative involved and finds it impossible to turn the book into a film, going through a serious case of writer's block.Meanwhile, Donald's spec script for a cliché psychological thriller sells for over one million dollars, while Charlie accidentally starts writing his script with self-reference. Already well over his deadline with Columbia Pictures, Charlie visits Susan in New York for advice on the screenplay. In New York Charlie finds that he is not courageous enough to meet Susan, leaving without consulting with her. Charlie visits a McKee seminar in New York, gaining advice from McKee, and bringing Donald to assist with the story structure. Donald even agrees to go on an interview with Susan, posing as Charlie and remains wary of Susan's answers. With Donald convinced that Susan is lying, he and Charlie follow Susan to Florida where she meets Laroche. Donald and Charlie finds Susan and Laroche taking the Ghost Orchid drug and having sex. This is followed by a sequence of events which include a car chase, Donald being shot and then killed in a car crash, Laroche getting bitten by an alligator and Susan being arrested by the police. His writer's block broken, Charlie finally summons up the courage to tell his former girlfriend, Amelia, that he is in love with her. He finishes his script, with Gérard Depardieu in mind to portray him in the film.

Tags: comedy, boring, murder, dramatic, cult, magical realism, clever, psychedelic, action, satire, romantic

Review:
After the phenomenal success of 'Being John Malkovich' in 1999, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman was commissioned to adapt Susan Orlean's non-fiction novel, "The Orchid Thief," for the screen.
Much like Federico Fellini's classic 1963 film, '8½,' from which Kaufman almost certainly drew inspiration, 'Adaptation' tells the story of its own creation.Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman, the lonely, insecure and socially awkward screenwriter who is hired to adapt "The Orchid Thief," written by Susan Orlean, who is portrayed by Meryl Streep.
As Kaufman struggles to write the script, his troubles are compounded by the presence of his twin brother, Donald (also played by Nicolas Cage), who is Charlie's exact opposite: reckless, carefree, over-confident and perhaps even a bit dim.
At several points in the story, more dramatic flashbacks take place: we see Charles Darwin first penning his theories of evolution and adaptation, a brief history of the grim activity of orchid-hunting, and, in one particularly impressive sequence, we are taken back billions of years to the beginning of life, to trace how Charlie Kaufman came to be here today.Though purportedly based on a true story, the events of the film are highly fictionalised, and the story always treads a fine line with reality, with the audience never certain of whether or not an event is real (in the context of the film) or merely a creation of Charlie's (or even Donald's) imagination.
Charlie Kaufman (the true-life writer, not the character) often receives most of the accolades for the film, but it is director Spike Jonze who shared the vision to execute "Adaptation" on screen.
The director, who started his career directing music videos, seems to share a singular understanding with Kaufman the writer, and a mutual agreement on what the film is actually trying to say.In addition to a clever story, 'Adaptation' contains some of the finest acting of the 2000s, presenting an excellent selection of seasoned talents at the top of their games.
In arguably the greatest role(s) of his career, Nicolas Cage is phenomenal as both Charlie and Donald Kaufman, twin brothers whose complete polarity is startlingly evident in the execution of their respective film scripts.
Charlie, whilst writing his adaptation, is determined to avoid the usual clichés and construct a film without any conventional plot, to write a movie "simply about flowers." Donald, however, blissfully oblivious to his own unoriginality as a writer, churns out a hackneyed psychological thriller, entitled 'The 3,' in which the serial killer, his female hostage and the cop are the very same person.
Cage is excellent, and often absolutely hilarious, as both characters, giving each brother a distinct attitude and personality, so that it is possible to tell immediately which is which even though their physical appearance is exactly the same.Meryl Streep is equally excellent as Susan Orlean, the journalist for "The New Yorker" who researches John Laroche and endeavours to catch a glimpse of the famed and very rare Ghost Orchid, if only to understand what it feels like to be passionate about something.
Charlie Kaufman is absolutely determined to write an original script, without cramming in "sex or guns or car chases or characters learning profound life lessons or growing or coming to like each other or overcoming obstacles to succeed in the end." However, after he eventually asks Donald to complete the script for him, it descends into exactly that.
I bought "Adaptation" on DVD for ten bucks, thinking, "I've got nothing to lose." Plus, the front cover looked cool anyway.I watched it again (after taking into mind several themes and self-referential layers I had failed to visualize before) and was blown away by the originality and genius of the movie.My hugest complaint regarding "Adaptation," originally, was its absurd ending -- I felt it was out of place, silly, and totally anti-climactic.
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.
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.
Anyhow, Kaufman is a talented screenwriter, who, after writing what is his `script of a lifetime' (`Being John Malkovich), he takes on a project that is over his head-adapting Susan Orlean's (Meryl Streep) book, `The Orchid Thief' into an amazing film about flowers that will stun and amaze all.
Oh, and Charlie (but not Donald) Kaufman, Susan Orlean, and John Laroche are all real people, which will make the film infinitely easier to understand.
we see Charlie's screenplay "The Orchid Thief" showing as it would if it became a film, featuring the author; Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) and the books protagonist, John Laroche (Chris Cooper).Charlie Kaufman {the character} is one of the most relatable characters in cinema for me.
Following his success as screenwriter for 'Being John Malcovich', Charlie Kaufman is given the job of adapting Susan Orlean's book 'The Orchid Thief' which she expanded from a piece in The New Yorker that she wrote on the obsessive orchid hunter John Laroche.
While Charlie struggles to adapt the book into a workable film, his twin brother, Donald, writes a successful script around serial killers.
From the primitive scribblings of early man to the manic late night scribblings of the neurotic Charlie Kauffman(played by Cage)What we have here is a film about orchid thieves, high society New York socialites, screenwriters, identical twins, crocodiles, narcotic rings, and internet porn...err, more aptly put: a movie about a guy writing a movie about a book inside of another movie.
But it is also, more profoundly, a film about its own non-existence - a narrative that confronts both the impossibility and the desperate need to tell stories provokes our expectations of coherence, plausibility and fidelity to the reality lived.There are variety of games presented in the film are dominated by the restlessness of knowing what is real what imaginary, what in fact thinks Charlie Kaufman, movie roter and what in fact thinks or thought Susan Orlean, when writing the book "The Orchid Thief "that inspired the film.
And that in the film are presented and worked through the figure of the writing twins Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) and scriptwriter Robert McKee (Brian Cox).So well adapted to this story are the actors, who in addition to acting are guides who invite us and lead us to organize the fragmentary data of the film.
The character Susan surprises with her abrupt change in the end and unpredictability of her attitudes, though consistent, without script or construction failures.The use of the pace in "Adaptation" is undoubtedly an important and necessary point to tell this story, Jonze with his experience in clips and series for MTV, was able to absorb the freshness of a stormy pace that assists in the complexity of moments lived by Charlie and Susan or in moments of lull and mockery of Donald's life as well as in the great final Match Point, a frenetic, accelerated jab of actions and images, but which unfortunately comes out too much, unnecessary, in trying to present solutions that lead to an outcome.At first, Charlie's overly self-conscious and pseudo-intellectual crises are fun as we recognize the same tendencies in ourselves.
Charlie Kaufman was putting his entire career at risk when he wrote this script, as he was suppose to adapt a book in to a movie, but was struggling so much that he instead decided to write a script about him struggling to adapt a book in to a movie, and I think that is much better than how an actual Orchid Thief film would have turned out.I would like to have seen more development for Charlie Kaufman, the character, as we learn little about his personal life beyond his twin brother.
Geez, the did that in 'Spaceballs.'  And regarding the film'spseudo-ironic ending, Altman already worked that idea (to a muchbetter effect) in 'The Player.'  I think Kaufman is talented and iscapable of really original things, but unfortunately, 'Adaptation' isn'tit..
Adaptation's plot revolves around a script-writer, Charlie Kaufman, and his brother, Donald Kaufman, and how Charlie Kaufman attempts to bring a non-fiction book about flowers called THE ORCHID THIEF into a film script to be adapted into a movie, which serves the purpose of the title of the film.
Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is a neurotic screenwriter on the set of his movie 'Being John Malkovich' in 1998.
Wow, I can't believe it took me 12 years to see this movie.And I only did it already knowing that Susan Orlean did write the essay for The New Yorker and then wrote 'The Orchid Thief' book about about John Laroche.
And that Robert McKee is indeed a real person in real life that is very famous for his 'Story Seminar' lectures (by the way, do read him!).This was a stellar portrayal of Charles Kauffman (who is indeed the real screenwriter) by Nicholas Cage, and also playing the fictional twin brother Donald Kauffman (that indeed was given the Oscar along with Charles by the Academy, the first time an Oscar goes to a fictional person).And that ending!
The very nature of reality is bent, or I should say refracted, in the way Kaufman plays so loose with the real lives of Orlean and Larouche, ultimately adapting them to fit his, or Hollywood's, idea of what a modern movie should be.
Meryl Streep and underrated character actor Chris Cooper ('Lone Star', 'American Beauty') are also both superb, and there are some great performances from the supporting cast, most notably the brilliant Brian Cox ('Manhunter', 'Rushmore') who plays real life scriptwriting guru Robert McKee. I loved this movie from start to finish.
This is a really strange movie.I am not going to bore you with a plot synopsis that some people insist on putting in their comments (what is the point, really?) but this film is most definitely NOT the book "The Orchid Thief" come to life on the screen.The characters are there, kind of, but have been delightfully warped and mutated into a funny, hilarious movie that just makes you think and laugh out loud and wonder "what was Charlie Kaufman ON when he wrote this screenplay???".I would recommend seeing it twice to really get the full benefit of the movie --- Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep are just amazing their interpretations of the characters they play, and Nicolas Cage is stunningly brilliant as Charlie and Donald Kaufman caught up in writer's block / twin jealousy and the weird goings-on in the swamps of Florida.
So far, it's my favorite movie collaboration between director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, the madmen who brought us BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (some of whose cast cameos in ADAPTATION, since it begins on the set of BJM).
The story of how Kaufman agrees to adapt Susan Orlean's literate, thoughtful book THE ORCHID THIEF into a screenplay is the best movie about writers and writing I've seen, with David Cronenberg's adaptation of William S.
Meryl Streep gives one of her best comedic performances in years as Susan Orlean, the prim NEW YORKER writer who slowly unravels as she becomes more and more enthralled with orchid poacher John Laroche, engagingly played by Chris Cooper, who truly earned his Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, the dream team that brought you `Being John Malkovich', reunite in fine, giddy form in this highly original, funny and surprisingly poignant high concept comedy about screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Cage in one of his best roles since winning the Oscar) and his twin brother Donald (Cage again, brilliantly imbuing two distinct yet dissimilar identities nonetheless) a wannabe at odds with his own identity as he attempts to adapt `The Orchid Thief', Susan Orlean's best-selling non-fiction account of fauna rebel John Laroche (respectively Streep and Cooper in equally award caliber turns), into a motion picture screenplay with great difficulty.
Mr. Kauffman takes the difficult task to develop the original book by Susan Orlean into a filmable script from a novel that, at best, would not translate into cinematic treatment.Mr. Kauffman's twin brother Donald enters the picture as a self-centered opportunist who wants to capitalize on his own brother's skills to create a scenario for a film and sell it for millions to a Hollywood studio.
Nicolas Cage pulls off the double role, showing us one moment Charlie's agony for not being able to do the job and the carefree brother Donald, who is just his opposite.Fact and fiction mingle freely in presenting the book's own author, Susan Orlean, as she was researching the book and her involvement with John Laroche, the orchid thief.Meryl Streep can give great performances.At times she comes across as very studied and very artificial.
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's attempts to adapt Susan Orlean's "the Orchid Thief" is hampered by Hollywood expectations, his twin brother, and his own inadequacies, in this fictionalized true-life story.
Donald sells out to Robert McKee's screenwriter "principles," Laroche sells out one thing at a time (fish, flowers, porn), Orlean realizes she has nothing worth selling at all, and Charlie sells out by writing the most pandering, backdoor finish to his movie as we witness it.Lately I've really found myself enjoying films where nobody dies, nobody falls in love, and nothing too darn exciting happens at all.
Charlie Kauffman (Nicolas Cage) is stuck in a writer's block after he was asked to adapt a non- fiction book 'The Orchid Thief' about experiences of the author Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) with a plant enthusiast John Laroche (Chris Cooper).
Led by a (surprisingly) strong act by Nicolas Cage and supported by the always-brilliant Meryl Streep, 'Adaptation.' proudly stands out from the rest of modern day films, thanks to it's brilliant writing by Charlie Kaufman.
Mr. Jonze has also collaborated with an incredible screenwriter Charlie Kaufmann he has done scripts for films like Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and of course Adaptation.
Nicholas Cage gives, Meryl Streep plays Susan Orlean the writer of the book Charlie Kaufmann is trying to adapt and Chris Cooper plays John Laroche the love interest and character of Susan Orleans The Orchid Thief.
The semi-autobiographical story focuses on screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage), who is struggling to complete an adaptation of a book about orchid poaching.Not exactly the most intriguing premise, I know, but the real Kaufman's Oscar-nominated screenplay is far from your average Hollywood concoction.
Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is attempting to write a screenplay of the book written by Susan but is having a hard time adapting the concept into a motion picture.
Anybody who has ever wanted to become a filmmaker or wrote a screenplay before can probably relate to this movie.Adaptation is a unique spin on real life events surrounding Charlie Kaufman's psychological struggle to adapt The Orchid Thief into a feature length film and his journey of self discovery to becoming a better screenwriter and his intertwining story with Susan Orlean the author of The Orchid Thief book played terrifically by Meryl Streep, and the Orchid thief himself John Laroche played excellently by Chris Cooper.
Nicolas Cage gives his best performance(s) as Charlie Kaufman and his polar opposite twin brother Donald Kaufman.Adaptation features sharp commentary on the film industry and the struggles that all writers face as they seek new and creative ways to write stories.Incredibly intelligent writing, sharp comedy, deep characters, and gravitas performances all come together as one in Adaptation, my favorite movie of all time(outside The Dark Knight Saga)..
Nicolas Cage expertly portrays the struggle of Charlie Kaufman, the self-loathing screenwriter trying to adapt the book, 'The Orchid Thief', and just as well, portrays the happy-go-lucky, at times, silly, and ultimately wise Donald Kaufman, Charlie's twin brother.We also couldn't forget Susan Orlean, the woman desperate for passion, played by Meryl Streep, and the Academy Award winning performance by Chris Cooper as John Laroche, the "smartest man he knows".By the end of this movie, I understood what it meant to be in love, and, without a doubt, never listened to the song 'Happy Together' without getting teary-eyed again..
This is might be a true story of how Charlie has been asked to write an adaptation to Susan Orlean's book "The Orchid Thief", along with a real character named John Laroche, but has senses of laziness, tantrums, and writer's block.
The film takes place in modern day New York and Florida.Charlie Kaufman (Cage) is a screenwriter who is trying to adapt a book about flowers and he is finding it very difficult to create a script which makes flowers seem great yet is also a very entertaining film.
The movie is about the adaptation of Laroche's story to an article and book by Orlean, and then to a screenplay by Kaufman.The most fantastic thing about this film is the acting.
Blindly.Screenplay writer Charlie (Cage) is a part of one of his last projects (realistically shown) Being John Malkovich when he's summoned to adapt Susan Orlean's (Streep) novel The Orchid Thief.
Kaufman takes on the project of adapting a book called "The Orchid Thief" for the big screen, only he can't seem to come up with anything - that is until he decides to write himself in the film.
In the film based on this script, now titled "Adaptation" and directed by Spike Jonze, Larouch is played by Chris Cooper, Orlean is played by Meryl Streep, and actor Nicholas Cage plays a slightly more neurotic version of the neurotic Charlie Kaufman.
Character 1) Charlie Kaufman = Self-loathing screenwriter with writer's block commissioned to write a script over a book that doesn't have a story.