Adaptation

2002, Comedy/Drama, 1h 54m

211 Reviews 100,000+ Ratings

critics consensus

Dizzyingly original, the loopy, multi-layered Adaptation is both funny and thought-provoking. Read critic reviews

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Adaptation Videos

Adaptation: Trailer 1

Adaptation: Official Clip - You Are What You Love

Adaptation: Official Clip - Charlie Can't Adapt

Adaptation: Official Clip - Technology vs. Horse

Adaptation: Official Clip - Wasting McKee's Time

Adaptation: Official Clip - Sweating at the Meeting

Adaptation: Official Clip - The Deconstructionist

Adaptation: Official Clip - Donald's Script Pitch

Adaptation: Official Clip - Done with Fish

View All Videos (9)

Adaptation Photos

Nicolas Cage (center) plays Charlie Kaufman, a stymied writer who seeks advice from screenwriting guru Robert McKee, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Meryl Streep plays author Susan Orlean, a woman who discovers real passion for the first time in her life, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Journalist Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) literally falls in love with her work, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

New Yorker writer Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) allows her professional assignment to grow into a private passion, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage, left) corners screenwriting guru Robert McKee (Brian Cox) in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Nicolas Cage find easy romance in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Twin-brothers Charlie, left, and Donald Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage) discuss the finer points of screenwriting, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

John Laroche (Chris Cooper) tries to help journalist Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) understand the true beauty of the orchid species, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Nicolas Cage plays both Charlie and Donald Kaufman in the Columbia Pictures presentation, ADAPTATION.

Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep star in the Columbia Pictures presentation, ADAPTATION.

Twin-brothers Donald, left, and Charlie Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage) travel across the country in their attempt to unlock the mysteries of The Orchid Thief.

When screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) tries to adapt The Orchid Thief to the screen, he develops a serious case of writer's block, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

There is no limit to John Laroche's (Chris Cooper) passion for orchids in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Chris Cooper, who plays orchid thief John Laroche, will go to any lengths to find rare species of the flower, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Twin-brothers Donald, right, and Charlie Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage) are both trying to write a new screenplay, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Twin-brothers Charlie, left, and Donald Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage) couldn't be less alike, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Of twin-brothers Donald, left, and Charlie Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage), guess which one is the life of the party, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Twin-brothers Charlie, left, and Donald Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage) get in over their heads in the Florida Everglades, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

John Laroche's (Chris Cooper) obsession with orchids sometimes gets the best of him, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation.

Nicolas Cage stars in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation, as screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who is seriously depressed about his life and his career.

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Movie Info

Nicolas Cage is Charlie Kaufman, 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 (Nicolas Cage). While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), 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'.

Rating:

R (Sexuality|Language|Some Drug Use|Violent Images)
Genre:

Comedy, Drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Spike Jonze
Producer:

Edward Saxon, Vincent Landay, Jonathan Demme
Writer:

Charlie Kaufman, Susan Orlean
Release Date (Theaters):

Dec 6, 2002 wide
Release Date (Streaming):

Oct 21, 2003
Box Office (Gross USA):

$22.2M
Runtime:

1h 54m
Distributor:

Columbia Pictures
Sound Mix:

Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio:

Flat (1.85:1)

Cast & Crew

Nicolas Cage
Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman

Meryl Streep
Susan Orlean

Chris Cooper
John Laroche

Tilda Swinton
Valerie

Cara Seymour
Amelia Kavan

Brian Cox
Robert McKee

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Adaptation

Meryl Streep’s 10 Best Movies

Perchance to Electric Dream: A Curious Chat with Spike Jonze

Exclusive: The World of Where the Wild Things Are

Critic Reviews for Adaptation

All Critics (211) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (191) | Rotten (20)

Full Review… Joshua Rothkopf In These Times

Full Review… Nell Minow Common Sense Media

Full Review… David Ansen Newsweek

Full Review… Geoff Andrew Time Out

Full Review… Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com

Full Review… Eleanor Ringel Cater Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Full Review… Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review

Full Review… David Walsh World Socialist Web Site

Full Review… Matt Brunson Film Frenzy

Full Review… Anton Bitel Projected Figures

Full Review… PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro

Full Review… Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia)

View All Critic Reviews (211)

Audience Reviews for Adaptation

Sep 20, 2020

If Being John Malkovich introduced us to the creative ideas of Charlie Kaufman and took us (fictionally) into the mind of John Malkovich the actor then Adaptation takes us into the mind of Charlie Kaufman himself. Of course, this is still only fiction and much poetic and artistic license is taken but Kaufman turns the tables onto himself this time and the results are just as creative and enjoyable. He even creates a fictional brother in Donald Kaufman (which the Academy even nominated as a joint writer when the Best Screenplay Oscar was announced). Kaufman is simply a master at creating a story where art imitates life imitating art. It's so cleverly done and effortlessly blurs the lines between fact and fiction such is it's astute and clever construction. Director Spike Jonze, once again, seems to be on the same wave length of Kaufman's ingenuity and the performances are fantastic. Chris Cooper won the Best Supporting Actor award but, in a dual role as Charlie and Donald, this is arguably the best work that Nicolas Cage has ever delivered. Another mind-bending treat from Kaufman.

Mark W Super Reviewer
Jul 26, 2020

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.

Gimly M Super Reviewer
Dec 15, 2012

A triumphantly meta film that takes every opportunity to take a filmic cliche and completely turn it on its head. This is writer Kaufman's movie as much as it is Jonze's, and the duo manage to provoke laughs, pathos, and thought in this surreal dive into the writing psyche, complete with a wonderful dual performance from Nicolas Cage.

Kase V Super Reviewer
Sep 30, 2012

Adaptation is undoubtedly one of the most original films I've ever seen. The films concept is even more genius than Spike Jonze's previous Being John Malkovich. The film follows the real-life writer Charlie Kaufman trying to adapt a book called The Orchid Thief into a screenplay. The screenplay that he ends up writing is the screenplay of this movie. It sounds very confusing, but it really is a genius concept and has to be seen to be believed. All of the performances are great, and the final act is the most exciting (even if it is the most fictitious). I also loved how the film portrays screenwriters as one of the most vital people to the creation of a film yet they are the most overlooked. The beauty of Adaptation is that you have no idea where it's going to go next because the events are being written as the film progresses. The only complaint I have is that the final act is far superior to the rest of the movie, which isn't nearly as interesting. Overall, I cannot stress enough how original Adaptation is.

Kevin M Super Reviewer

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