2002
Director: Spike Jonze
Writer: Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman
Producers: Edward Saxon, Vincent Landay, Jonathan Demme
Actors:Nicolas Cage Meryl Streep Chris Cooper
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis
An account of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's (Cage) attempt to adapt Susan Orlean's (Streep) non-fiction book The Orchid Thief, which is the story of John Laroche (Cooper), a plant dealer who clones rare orchids then sells them to collectors. We see the action of the book as we see Kaufman struggle to adapt it into a movie. This is presumably a somewhat true story, as Charlie Kaufman is the real life screenwriter of Adaptation.
Movie Plot
Nic Cage is Charlie Kaufman….that's right, Charlie Kaufman: screenwriter and all round genius (as 'Being John Malkovich' has proved). He's been told to adapt a book. He can't, so he writes about himself adapting the book. So the film is based on a screenplay of a screenplay written about a book. With me so far?
Nic also plays his brother Donald. A hanger on who is also tries to break into the industry via a route of sensationalism, writing seminars and hackeyed Hollywood plots…who's to succeed?
All the actors are brilliant, especially Nicolas Cage who is playing the 'multiple personalities' as the twin brothers. As Charlie he is a man who is painfully inadequate socially, yet analyses to the last thread. As Donald he is goofy, confident and seemingly ignorant. Chris Cooper thoroughly deserves his Oscar nod, as does the ever-reliable Meryl Streep. Even a cameo by '8 Mile' director Curtis Hanson is good.
Did You KNow...
The real author of "The Orchid Thief" - Susan Orlean - was initially shocked to read she was a character in the movie version of her book. "I thought the script was completely strange and yet, wonderful," said Orlean, adding, "But the important thing is that, in the end, this was the perfect thing to have happened to this book. It has become more of a character in the movie than the actual basis for the movie."
When Orlean was informed Meryl Streep would be portraying her in "Adaptation," she was elated. 25 years ago the two women had worked on "The Deer Hunter" but had never been formally introduced. It was the only film Orlean ever appeared in as an extra and Meryl Streep was one of the movie's stars. "It somehow seemed like karma that she was going to play me. To have such a great actress wanting to play a character based on you is thrilling," explains Orlean.
World Premiere
Westwood played host to the December 3, 2002 World Premiere of director Spike Jonze's movie, "Adaptation," written by Charlie Kaufman ("Being John Malkovich"). The film's star, Nicolas Cage, joined fellow cast members Cara Seymour, Judy Greer, Chris Cooper and Tilda Swinton, for the star-studded red carpet event.
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Adaptation Screening
