Adaptation (film)

The self-loathing Charlie Kaufman is hired to write the screenplay adaptation of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief. He is struggling with anxiety, social phobia, depression, and low self esteem. His twin brother, Donald, has moved into his house and is freeloading there. Donald decides to become a screenwriter like Charlie and attends one of Robert McKee's famous seminars.

Charlie, who rejects formulaic scriptwriting, wants to ensure that his script is a faithful adaptation of The Orchid Thief, but comes to feel that the book does not have a usable narrative and is impossible to turn into a film, leaving him with a serious case of writer's block. Already well past his deadline with Columbia Pictures, and despairing of writing his script with self-reference, Charlie travels to New York City to discuss the screenplay with Orlean directly. Too shy and socially awkward to speak with her upon arriving at her office, and after receiving the surprising news that Donald's spec script for a cliché psychological thriller called The 3 is selling for six or seven figures, Charlie resorts to attending McKee's seminar in New York and asks him for advice. Charlie ends up asking Donald to join him in New York to assist with the story structure.

Donald, who is confident socially, pretends to be Charlie and interviews Orlean, but finds her responses suspicious. He and Charlie follow Orlean to Florida, where she meets John Laroche, the orchid-stealing protagonist of her book and her secret lover. It is revealed that the Seminole wanted the ghost orchid to manufacture a mind-altering drug that causes fascination. Laroche introduces this drug to Orlean. After Laroche and Orlean catch Charlie observing them taking the drug and having sex, Orlean decides that Charlie must be killed to prevent him from exposing her adultery and drug use.

Orlean forces Charlie to drive to the swamp at gunpoint, where she intends to kill him. Charlie and Donald escape and hide in the swamp, where they resolve their differences. Laroche accidentally shoots Donald. Fleeing, Charlie and Donald drive off, but collide head-on with a ranger's truck. Donald is ejected through the windshield and dies moments later; Charlie is saved by the airbag. He runs into the swamp to hide but is spotted by Laroche. Laroche is killed by an alligator before he can kill Charlie.

Orlean is arrested. Charlie reconciles with his mother as he calls to inform her of Donald's death. He later tells his former love interest, Amelia, that he loves her; she responds that she loves him too. Charlie finishes the script, which ends with him announcing in a voice-over that the script is finished and that for the first time he is filled with hope.

Nicolas Cage portrays Charlie and Donald Kaufman through split screen photography.

Tom Hanks was originally set for the double role of Charlie and Donald Kaufman. Variety reviewed the film as if Donald were a real person.[4] Cage took the role for a $5 million salary,[5] and wore a fatsuit during filming.[6]

Streep expressed strong interest in the role of Susan Orlean before being cast,[5] and took a salary cut in recognition of the film's budget.[7] John Turturro was approached to portray John Laroche.[8] Cooper strongly considered turning down Laroche, but accepted it after his wife urged him to.[9] Albert Finney, Christopher Plummer, Terence Stamp and Michael Caine were considered for the role of Robert McKee, but McKee personally suggested Brian Cox to filmmakers.[10]

Litefoot and Jay Tavare have small roles as Seminole. John Cusack, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Lance Acord and Spike Jonze have uncredited cameos as themselves in scenes where Charlie Kaufman is on the set of Being John Malkovich, which he also wrote. Additional cameos include Doug Jones as explorer Augustus Margary, director Curtis Hanson as Orlean's husband, and David O. Russell as a New Yorker journalist.

The idea to do a film adaptation of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief dates back to 1994.[12] Fox 2000 purchased the film rights in 1997,[13] eventually selling them to Jonathan Demme, who set the project at Columbia Pictures. Charlie Kaufman was hired to write the script, but struggled with the adaptation and writer's block.[14] Kaufman eventually created a script of his experience in adaptation, exaggerating events and creating a fictional twin brother. He put Donald Kaufman's name on the script and dedicated the film to him.[1] By September 1999, Kaufman had written two drafts of the script;[15] he turned in a third draft in November 2000.[16]

Kaufman has said,

The idea of how to write the film didn't come to me until quite late. It was the only idea I had, I liked it, and I knew there was no way it would be approved if I pitched it. So I just wrote it and never told the people I was writing it for. I only told Spike Jonze, as we were making Being John Malkovich and he saw how frustrated I was. Had he said I was crazy, I don't know what I would have done.[17]

He has also said, "I really thought I was ending my career by turning that in!"[18]

Adaptation went on fast track in April 2000, with Kaufman making some revisions.[4] Scott Brake of IGN gave the script a positive review in June 2000,[19] as did Drew "Moriarty" McWeeny of Ain't It Cool News in October.[20] Columbia Pictures committed to North America distribution only after Intermedia came aboard to finance the film in exchange for international distribution rights.[21] Filming started in late March 2001 in Los Angeles and finished by June.[8] The "evolution" fantasy sequence was created by Digital Domain, while Skywalker Sound handled audio post production services. The makeup effects (the Nicolas Cage double, Chris Cooper's teeth, and the alligator attack) are by makeup effects designer Tony Gardner and his effects company Alterian, Inc.

Columbia Pictures at one point announced a late 2001 theatrical release date,[8] but Adaptation opened on December 6, 2002, in the United States for a limited release. The film was released nationwide on February 14, 2003, earning $1,130,480 in its opening weekend in 672 theaters. It went on to gross $22.5 million in North America and $10.3 million in foreign countries, for a total of $32.8 million.[2]

Films

• Identity (2003), a film starring John Cusack whose twist ending bears a distinct resemblance to the twist ending of The 3, the fictional script by Donald Kaufman's character.[36]
• Thr3e (2006), a film (based on Ted Dekker's eponymous novel), that bears a distinct resemblance to the plot of The 3, the fictional script by Donald Kaufman's character.[37]
• List of films featuring fictional films

Literature

• Levinson, Julie (Spring 2007). "Adaptation, Metafiction, Self-Creation". Genre: Forms of Discourse and Culture. 40: 1.
• McKee, Robert (1997). Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting.
• Orlean, Susan (1998). The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession.

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Adaptation (film)

• Adaptation at AllMovie
• Adaptation on IMDb
• Adaptation at BeingCharlieKaufman.com
• Adaptation at Rotten Tomatoes
• Adaptation at Box Office Mojo
• Susan Orlean's original article for The New Yorker
• Adaptation, Shooting Script, by Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze. Nick Hern Books, 2002. ISBN 1-85459-708-6.