When the 1999 movie “Being John Malkovich” hit theaters across the world, the complex, obtuse film directed by famed music video director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kauffman became a massive hit with fans and critics. Jonze became a celebrated new filmmaker while Kauffman became a screenwriter in demand. Eagerly anticipated was a new project from the two. Kauffman had devised a new idea with Jonze about a movie that is about himself while trying to write a screenplay adapted from a novel by Susan Orleans called “The Orchid Thief”. To make the film more interesting, Kauffman created a fictional twin brother who is the polar opposite of his real true self that he named Donald and the end result was the 2002 film “Adaptation”.

“Adaptation” is a complex, surrealistic film that journeys into the mind of the insecure, fat, bald Charlie Kauffman (played by Nicholas Cage) who is struggling to write a screenplay on Orleans’ “The Orchid Thief” as well as dealing with his own life that involved his twin brother Donald (also played by Cage). While Charlie Kauffman is dealing with his own life, the film does involve the subplots and work of Orleans (who is played by Meryl Streep) who writes her own novel while going back and forth to her memory about meeting the orchard thief named John Laroche (Chris Cooper). While the added subplots and storylines might be too much for some, Kauffman’s screenplay and Jonze’s directing style is very complex as it journeys to the mind of a few individuals as the lines between fiction and reality blur in this surreal film. While the pacing is a bit slow, “Adaptation” is an excellent follow-up film from the creators of “Being John Malkovich” and remains one of the 2002’s best films.

The film begins with Charlie Kauffman talking about his pathetic self as he drones on about his insecurity in the opening credits that is left black as it moves to the set of “Being John Malkovich” where Malkovich is complaining about the actors wearing his head feeling sick and Charlie was forced to walk out of the set. Sometime later, Charlie, sweating profusely, is talking to a studio executive named Valerie (Tilda Swinton) about a book she wants him to adapt into a screenplay called “The Orchid Thief”. Charlie takes the job but is often hit with writer’s block while he tries to understand the book and his twin brother Donald isn’t making things better either, since he too is writing a screenplay about serial killers.

The film often goes back and forth into Charlie’s world and the world of Susan Orleans & John Laroche. Laroche with a bunch of Seminole Indians in Florida try to smuggle some rare, beautiful orchids in a national swamp but get arrested. Orleans uses Laroche’s story for a book she wants to write. She becomes intrigued by Laroche’s comments on orchids and his love for the wildlife, which is in sharp contrast to the dull world of New York City where she’s often surrounded by boring people including her husband (filmmaker Curtis Hanson). She keeps coming to Florida to talk with Laroche and as their relationship progresses, so does Laroche’s fondness for porn while he is often very excited about the rare, white orchids he had found which Orleans writes for her book.

Charlie tries to study orchids but is having trouble, especially when he tries to form a relationship with a woman named Amelia (Cara Seymour) but it fails. He again tries to hook himself up with a waitress named Alice (Judy Greer) but it eventually fails. Donald of course, makes him feel worse every time he talks about his screenplay and getting help from a guru named Robert McKee (Brian Cox) who he often tells Charlie to get help from him. Charlie keeps going back to Orleans’ book as he learns of Laroche’s past that included the death of his mother from a car wreck and how Laroche is often a melodramatic individual that is part of the reason for Orleans’ attraction to him. Orleans even tries to study about orchids just to use information for her book as she struggles to maintain her integrity and her fondness for Laroche.

Back in Charlie’s world, he is filled with morose towards himself and desperation. Donald and his new girlfriend Caroline (Maggie Gyllenhaal) try to help him but he didn’t want to be mislead about their advice on Donald’s new guru. Eventually he gives in as he decides to take a trip to New York City to meet up with Orleans but his insecurities fail him. He finally goes into McKee’s seminar on screenwriting and as Charlie is talking in his mind, McKee slams the idea of voice-over narratives in films (there’s a lot of use in that in this particular film but to great extent) and when Charlie talks to him about certain, specific subjects, McKee tears him up in front of an entire group of people and calls his approach sh*t. After the seminar Charlie comes to McKee for some help on his screenplay where McKee tells him to try to dramatize things a bit and make a happy ending, which Orleans’ book didn’t really have at all.

Donald comes to New York City to help Charlie as he pretends to be him to Orleans. Donald suspects Orleans is being evasive and finds out that she’s been seeing Laroche again and stuff. The film at this point takes a strange turn. Where it once goes back and forth into the Kauffman and Orleans/Laroche world, now everything comes to place as the Kauffmans discover some truths and shocking revelations that would shake the entire movie.

Spike Jonze’s obtuse approach to filmmaking is excellent and unique. He brings in a bit of stock footage along with strange overtones and coloring to the movie as he enters the bleak world of the human characters and the strange, exotic world of flowers. Charlie Kauffman’s screenplay is written very well yet the pacing of the movie at times is a bit slow for some. The complexity of the film also serves, as a bit of a problem since the movie goes back and forth into the world of Charlie Kauffman and the Orleans/Laroche plot is hard to keep up with. It is easily recommended that this movie should be seen more than once after you learn when Laroche and Orleans meet and what is real and what is fiction.

Nicholas Cage’s performance as the twins of Charlie and Donald Kauffman is easily the best dramatic role he’s done since his Oscar-winning performance in “Leaving Las Vegas” after doing such unforgivable tripe like “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”, “Con Air” and “Gone in 60 Seconds”. Cage’s portrayal as the idiotic, outgoing Donald is filled with great hilarity but as the insecure Charlie is where Cage brings his dramatic expertise to great use. Whether or not this will bring Cage back into more respectable film roles, it does reveal why he’s one of the best actors in the past 20 years. Meryl Streep also brings in a masterful performance as the suffering, curious Susan Orleans where Streep crafts in a woman who is bored, compelling and later on, loose that is another excellent performance from the veteran actress. The supporting roles of Tilda Swinton, Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, and Ron Livingston (as a hilarious studio executive who enjoys talking about his female conquests) are well-played and performed, notably Cox who is an outstanding actor, while current breakthrough star Maggie Gyllenhaal’s small role as Caroline brings a smile to the film as Donald’s supportive girlfriend who hangs out with Catherine Keener (who and “Being John Malkovich” star John Cusack make cameos) and gives a bit of encouragement to the insecure Charlie.

Finally, there’s the Oscar-winning performance of Chris Cooper as John Laroche. Cooper’s portrayal of an egomaniacal, funny, dirty plant thief is one of the most amazing and spellbinding performances of the film and Cooper makes Laroche the most interesting character in the movie. Laroche is likeable and creepy at times yet an amazing character, which is why Chris Cooper truly deserves the Oscar he got for Best Supporting Actor.

Fans who enjoyed “Being John Malkovich” will like the complexity of “Adaptation” although more traditional filmgoers might be turned off by its obtuse plot and pacing. It’s not a perfect movie but it’s one of the most interesting films of 2002. The performances of Nicholas Cage and Meryl Streep are fun to watch but it’s Chris Cooper who really steals the show in the movie. Spike Jonze and Charlie Kauffman made a worthy follow-up to “Being John Malkovich” that is likely to make fans a bit more anticipated for their next film collaboration. While it’s not for everyone, the complexity, and idiosyncratic style of “Adaptation” is an enjoyable movie for the art-house film fan.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age