Adaptation. (2002)
Coming Out at 6 December 2002 in theaters.
Comedy, Drama
Adaptation. is comedy-drama metafilm directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman. The film stars Nicolas Cage as Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald, Meryl Streep as Susan Orlean, and Chris Cooper as John Laroche, with Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in supporting roles.
It is based both on Orlean’s nonfiction book The Orchid Thief and Kaufman’s experience attempting to adapt the book into a screenplay while suffering from writer’s block. Adaptation also adds a number of fictitious elements, including Kaufman’s twin brother (also credited as a writer for the film) and a romance between Orlean and Laroche, and culminates in completely invented events including fictional versions of Orlean and Laroche three years after the events related in The Orchid Thief.
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.
Director: Spike Jonze
Writers: Susan Orlean (book), Charlie Kaufman
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Tilda Swinton, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Jay Tavare, Litefoot, Roger Willie
Cast:
| Nicolas Cage | … | Charlie Kaufman / Donald Kaufman |
| Tilda Swinton | … | Valerie Thomas |
| Meryl Streep | … | Susan Orlean |
| Chris Cooper | … | John Laroche |
| Jay Tavare | … | Matthew Osceola |
| Litefoot | … | Russell |
| Roger Willie | … | Randy |
| Jim Beaver | … | Ranger Tony |
| Cara Seymour | … | Amelia Kavan |
| Doug Jones | … | Augustus Margary |
| Stephen Tobolowsky | … | Ranger Steve Neely |
| Gary Farmer | … | Buster Baxley |
| Peter Jason | … | Defense Attorney |
| Gregory Itzin | … | Prosecutor |
| Curtis Hanson | … | Orlean’s Husband |
| Agnes NaDene Baddoo | … | Orlean Dinner Guest |
| Paul Fortune | … | Orlean Dinner Guest |
| Paul Jasmin | … | Orlean Dinner Guest |
| Lisa Love | … | Orlean Dinner Guest |
| Wendy Mogel | … | Orlean Dinner Guest |
| David O. Russell | … | Orlean Dinner Guest |
| Judy Greer | … | Alice the Waitress |
| Maggie Gyllenhaal | … | Caroline Cunningham |
| Bob Stephenson | … | David |
| Bob Yerkes | … | Charles Darwin |
| Lynn Court | … | Laroche’s Dad |
| Roger E. Fanter | … | Laroche’s Uncle Jim |
| Sandra Lee Gimpel | … | Laroche’s Mom |
| Caron Colvett | … | Laroche’s Wife |
| Larry Krask | … | EMT |
| Ron Livingston | … | Marty Bowen |
| Brian Cox | … | Robert McKee |
| John Etter | … | McKee Lecture Attendee |
| Ray Berrios | … | Police Officer |
| Nancy Lenehan | … | Kaufman’s Mother (voice) |
| Susan Orlean | … | Woman in Supermarket |
| Lance Acord | … | |
| Brigitte Bogle | … | Teenage Orlean |
| Ryan Bosch | … | Partygoer |
| Jan Citron | … | Flower Shop Patron |
| Curt Clendenin | … | Restaurant Customer |
| Lathan Crowe | … | Orchid Vendor |
| John Cusack | … | John Cusack |
| Donald Dowd | … | Cafe Customer |
| Chip Godwin | … | Bicycle Messenger |
| Spike Jonze | … | |
| Catherine Keener | … | Catherine Keener |
| Jake Magnuson | … | Cafe Customer |
| John Malkovich | … | |
| Thomas Patrick Smith | … | Thomas Patrick Smith |
| Rheagan Wallace | … | Kim Canetti |
| Anne Zogby | … | Wardrobe Supervisor |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia