Adaptation

Adaptation. is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman. The film is based on Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid Thief, with numerous self-referential events. The film stars Nicolas Cage as Charlie and Donald Kaufman, Meryl Streep as Susan Orlean, with Chris Cooper as John Laroche, Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film tells the story of Charlie Kaufman’s difficult struggle to adapt The Orchid Thief into a film. He adds a fictional double for himself, as well as a side story of a fictional romance between Orlean and Laroche.

The film had been in development as far back as 1994. Jonathan Demme brought the project to Columbia Pictures with Kaufman writing the script. Kaufman went through writer’s block and did not know what to think of The Orchid Thief. Finally he wrote a script based in his experience of adapting The Orchid Thief as a screenplay.

Jonze signed to direct, and filming was finished in June 2001. Adaptation achieved critical acclaim, and gained numerous awards at the 75th Academy Awards, 60th Golden Globe Awards and 56th British Academy Film Awards.

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