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Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicholas Cage) has been commissioned to adapt a book, "The
Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), into a screenplay. He is, however, experiencing writer's block.
Much as he tries he cannot see how a book that says so much about orchids and not enough about the story could be properly turned into a screenplay. Try as much as he could—through sleepless nights, and staring at the blank computer screen, almost at the brink of suicide—he decides to meet author Susan Orlean in New York. Too shy to approach her, he follows her to Florida where she interviews John Laroche (Chris Cooper) for the
New Yorker—an orchid enthusiast and authority who is the central character of the book. Where will this venture lead him, and will it help him come up with his
script?
Charlie Kaufman also attends a screenwriting seminar of Robert Mckee (Brian Cox) who
urges his listeners to follow a fail-safe formula he has come up with.
The offshoot of all his efforts are what happen are in his completed script, which is what the viewers see on screen entitled Adaptation. The film is no longer
an adaptation from "The Orchid Thief" but a story about how the screenplay is completed from different sources. The main character is Charlie Kaufman (in the book it is
John Laroche, the orchid thief).
The story includes how orchids are stolen, mixing real life people and fictional characters. Take a look at the people in real life in the credits above: Charlie Kaufman: Susan Orlean, lecturer Robert Mckee, John Laroche and Charlie Kaufman. Donald Kaufman (Nicholas Cage) as the twin brother is fictional Not only are the varied details from different sources well blended, the acting especially Chris Cooper (who won the best supporting actor Academy Awards and Golden Globe; Meryl Streep for Golden Globe) and Nicholas Cage and technical elements help to gel everything into an interesting movie. However, only those who can see and understand how the film is put together, with the unexpected twists and turns in the flow of the movie, will appreciate
Adaptation.
Charlie (in real life, as shown in the film) is the kind of writer who doesn't give up.
He may be blocked from putting something on his computer screen, and agonizing over his condition, but give up he doesn't do. His inventiveness pays off because
Adaptation is rated by astute film commentators as brilliant—funny even for those who could see this aspect in the film. Adaptation
does not only mean to transform the book into script, but also Kaufman's daring in mixing other elements to make the script-movie more interesting and more viewable.
(Date reviewed: June 27, 2003)
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