Adaptation

Quick Take: A lovelorn screenwriter turns to his less talented twin brother for help when his efforts to adapt a non-fiction book go nowhere.

Jonze, Spike
Director

114 minutes
running time

2002
year released

Drama
genre

R
rating

Torifan’s Rating...

Torifan’s review: I picked up Adaptation on DVD last night. I had heard great things about this film, and they were right. This film has an interesting plot: a screenwriter is trying to adapt a book called The Orchid Thief into a screenplay for a movie. The film shows the story of the book, as well as the story of Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) trying to write from the book. Frustrated at not being able to get out what he wants on paper, Charlie writes himself into his screenplay, just as he is in the movie we are watching. Confused yet? This is one you have to watch to fully understand. Nicolas Cage does an excellent job as Kaufman and his twin brother. The relationship between the bothers becomes pivitol at the end of the film. Charlie's brother (also played by Cage) tells him, "You're about the things you love, not the things that love you." I relate to this because I have several passions in life, and I feel love very deeply when I do feel it, which is often. The other seminal moment in this film is when John (Chris Cooper in his Oscar-winning role) tells Susan (Meryl Streep, in my favorite performance she has ever done) about how the balance exists between flowers (orchids) and bees... he describes the pollenation as a meeting of soulmates, and says, when you find your soulmate, you had better go after them. I love this moment in the film because I have felt this way for years... I believe in soulmates and I hope we all will go after ours, and find ours. It all gives me hope.

Cast:
Cage, Nicolas
Streep, Meryl
Cooper, Chris
Seymour, Cara
Swinton, Tilda
Livingston, Ron
Cox, Brian
Gyllenhaal, Maggie
Beaver, Jim
Greer, Judy

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BRASSY BROADS: Quote of the Moment "There are so many girls and so few princes." ...singer Liza Minnelli

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