Adaptation

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2:23

Adaptation

R

Released Dec 6, 2002

1h 54m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

208 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

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'.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

There's no good reason why this should work-the picture is a schizzy, self-indulgent mess-but magically, it does.

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Adult stuff only but hilarious and fresh.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 2, 2010

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

In the wrong hands, the lunacy could have gotten out of control, but Jonze has near-perfect pitch. He never forces the farce, rooting even Kaufman's wildest digressions in real emotions.

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

While not quite as absurd as Being John Malkovich had been, Adaptation was indeed plenty weird. (20th anniversary)

Rated: 4/5

Dec 13, 2022

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

This is, essentially, a long demonstration of why not to give people more money for them to prove a point about how bigger-budget filmmaking is inherently an artistically self-defeating proposition.

Nov 29, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

This ceaselessly clever, brilliantly mind-bending film taps into the intangible spirit of Orlean's book by involving the viewer in Kaufman's painstaking translation to the screen.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 2, 2022

Full Review

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F P

A movie that become brilliant after a few viewing. I you like Kaufman, it's a sure bet. The symbiosis between script and directing is match by Nicolas Cage performance. Everything works if you like Kaufman's script style.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/25

Full Review

A.L.Jude P

Slow burner .. could have been much better that this.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/25

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Kevin P

An amazing satire drama that really hits close to home. It’s a great movie about screenwriting and it’s a trippy retelling of the book adaptation. It’s amazing how well Nicholas Cage can act with nothing as he plays twins that seamlessly interact with each other and are easily distinguishable by Cage’s sharp contrast in acting styles and characterizations. It has a crazy third act, but even then that’s a clever subtle punchline to Charlie and Donald’s approach to the movie’s script, which in turn is the very movie we are watching now. The speech about finding amazing things in everyday life for cinematic inspiration gave me chills. I can deeply relate to both Charlie and Donald with their different approaches to cinema and screenwriting. I found the subplot with Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper to be very charming with all of their deep monologues about orchids and adapting to the crazy chaos of the universe. Adaptation is a wonderfully crazy movie about the importance of finding meaning in your own life before you can produce meaningful art.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/25

Full Review

julie b

Clever and a very_Nicolas_Cage_movie. The meta of this is really fun, and the cast and performances are great, including a lovely Brian Cox cameo. Some of the scenes are laugh out loud good, like when he is manically writing or anything with Donald tbh, and the inner monologues are too real.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

Full Review

Ariel F

Incomparable brilliance from Kaufman. The originality of concept is bar-none and the self-deprecating humor rivals that of Woody Allan but darker. A brave film that cements him as an all time great. Secondarily, (and absurdly enough) the acting is absolutely fantastic. A bunch of A-listers taking pay-cuts to be a part of a magnum opus and we all came out winners for the efforts. One of Cage’s all time greatest efforts. Reminded me favorably of Sandlers performance in Punch Drunk Love. Kudos to Spike as well. Superlatives all around… 👏🏽

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/31/24

Full Review

Geke g

Cage is caged this film into the cage of tier 1 films

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

Full Review

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Spike Jonze

Director

Nicolas Cage

Charlie Kaufman

Meryl Streep

Susan Orlean

Chris Cooper

John Laroche

Tilda Swinton

Valerie

Cara Seymour

Amelia Kavan

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Adaptation: Trailer 1

2:23

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Synopsis

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'.

Director: Spike Jonze
Producer: Edward Saxon, Vincent Landay, Jonathan Demme
Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman, Susan Orlean
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: InterMedia Film Equities Ltd., Clinica Estetico
Rating: R (Sexuality|Language|Some Drug Use|Violent Images)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.2M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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