History Film / Adaptation

This only begins to touch upon the [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodern]] [[MindScrew head trip]] that is ''Adaptation.''[[note]]And yes, the period is supposed to be part of the title[[/note]], a 2002 film directed by Creator/SpikeJonze that functions both as a surprisingly effective film version of Orlean's book, with Creator/MerylStreep as Orlean and Creator/ChrisCooper as [=LaRoche=] (for which he won a [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Best Supporting Actor Oscar]]), retaining as much as possible the botanical and historical treatises on orchids; and as a layered deconstruction of the creative process.

Among the film's accolades, it received four UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations. Apart from the aforementioned Best Supporting Actor win for Chris Cooper, it was also nominated for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInALeadingRole Best Actor]] (Cage), [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInASupportingRole Best Supporting Actress]] (Streep), and [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestAdaptedScreenplay Best Adapted Screenplay]]. Kaufman was co-credited as a writer on the film alongside his fictional brother Donald, and as such both were recognized in the screenplay nomination; this made Donald [[https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-fictional-character-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar the first fictional character in history to be nominated for an Oscar]].

* BrickJoke: After all of Charlie's self hatred over his belief that he's overweight, he finally has his fears confirmed at the end when Susan describes him as fat while [[spoiler: searching for him.]]

* BrickJoke: After all of Charlie's self hatred over his beliefs that he's overweight, he finally has his fears confirmed at the end when Susan describes him as fat while [[spoiler: searching for him.]]

* FanService: It's surprisingly abundant. There is a lot of toplessness (some of it coming from Creator/MerylStreep of all people)

This only begins to touch upon the [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodern]] [[MindScrew head trip]] that is ''Adaptation.''[[note]]And yes, the period is supposed to be part of the title[[/note]], a 2002 film directed by Creator/SpikeJonze that functions both as a surprisingly effective film version of Orlean's book, with Creator/MerylStreep as Orlean and Creator/ChrisCooper as [=LaRoche=] (for which he won a Best Supporting Actor [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]), retaining as much as possible the botanical and historical treatises on orchids; and as a layered deconstruction of the creative process.

Among the film's accolades, it received four UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations. Apart from the aforementioned Best Supporting Actor win for Chris Cooper, it was also nominated for Best Actor (Cage), Best Supporting Actress (Streep), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Kaufman was co-credited as a writer on the film alongside his fictional brother Donald, and as such both were recognized in the screenplay nomination; this made Donald [[https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-fictional-character-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar the first fictional character in history to be nominated for an Oscar]].

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/adaptation.jpg]][[caption-width-right:300:Yes, the screenplay for this film is co-credited to a fictional character in the movie. A good warning for what is about to come...]]

Screenwriter Creator/CharlieKaufman, fresh off the success of ''Film/BeingJohnMalkovich'', had a problem. He'd been hired to adapt the Susan Orlean book ''The Orchid Thief'', about her experiences with rare flower hunter John [=LaRoche=], into a film, only to find out it had no real story and was mostly about flowers. Going out of his mind with writer's block, he eventually went off the deep end and wrote a screenplay beginning with: "Screenwriter Creator/CharlieKaufman, fresh off the success of ''Film/BeingJohnMalkovich'', had a problem..."

The film follows neurotic intellectual Charlie Kaufman (Creator/NicolasCage) and his tortured quest to write a movie where nothing happens, "like in real life", conflicting with his free-spirited twin Donald (a fictional character [[ActingForTwo also played by]] Creator/NicolasCage) who has written a trashy thriller full of car chases and murders -- the exact kind of movie Charlie hates. Unfortunately for him, it's also increasingly the movie he's in after a meeting with screenwriting mentor [[Literature/{{Story}} Robert [=McKee=]]] (Creator/BrianCox) inspires him to move the story steadily further away from reality. All of this plays against the raging existential crisis running incessantly through Charlie's mind.

Among the film's accolades, it received four UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations. Apart from the aforementioned Best Supporting Actor win for Chris Cooper, it was also nominated for Best Actor (Cage), Best Supporting Actress (Streep), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Kaufman was co-credited as a writer on the film alongside the character Donald, and as such both were recognized in the screenplay nomination; this made Donald [[https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-fictional-character-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar the first fictional character in history to be nominated for an Oscar]].

* NeverSmileAtACrocodile

* RealityIsUnrealistic: The crux of the above speech from [=McKee=] is that wildly dramatic and seemingly unrealistic things happen in the “real world” every day, and that realism shouldn’t have to be boring.

This only begins to touch upon the {{postmodern}} [[MindScrew head trip]] that is ''Adaptation.''[[note]]And, yes, the period is supposed to be part of the title[[/note]], a 2002 film directed by Creator/SpikeJonze that functions both as a surprisingly effective film version of Orlean's book, with Creator/MerylStreep as Orlean and Creator/ChrisCooper as [=LaRoche=] (for which he won a Best Supporting Actor [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]), retaining as much as possible the botanical and historical treatises on orchids; and as a layered deconstruction of the creative process.

Among the film's accolades, it received four UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations. Apart from the aforementioned win for Chris Cooper, it also received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination; Kaufman was co-credited as a writer on the film alongside Donald, and as such both were recognized in the nomination. This made Donald [[https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-fictional-character-to-be-nominated-for-an-oscar the first fictional character in history to be nominated for an Oscar]].

This only begins to touch upon the {{postmodern}} [[MindScrew head trip]] that is ''Adaptation.''[[note]]And, yes, the period is supposed to be part of the title[[/note]], a 2002 film directed by Creator/SpikeJonze that functions both as a surprisingly effective film version of Orlean's book, with Creator/MerylStreep as Orlean and Creator/ChrisCooper as [=LaRoche=] (for which he won the 2002 Best Supporting Actor Oscar), retaining as much as possible the botanical and historical treatises on orchids; and as a layered deconstruction of the creative process.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Charlie, rather frequently. We're even lucky enough to see what he's thinking..

* DeconReconSwitch: For movie clichés. Turns out even trying to make a script/film "about nothing" requires a NecessaryWeasel. [=McKee=]'s TheReasonYouSuckSpeech at Donald even lampshades how RealityIsUnrealistic. Or? at least, that’s one interpretation. Another is that the first two-thirds deconstruct movie cliches, and the third act merely spoofs them.

* ReasonYouSuckSpeech: Charlie asks Robert [=McKee=] for advice on a screenplay where nothing happens. [=McKee=] ''epically'' shoots him down:

* RealityIsUnrealistic: The crux of the above speech from [=McKee=] is that wildly dramatic and seemingly unrealistic things happen in the “real world” every day, and that realism shouldn’t have to be boring.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Charlie gives a brief one to Susan after [[spoiler:Donald dies and alligators kill [=LaRoche=].]]

This only begins to touch upon the {{postmodern}} [[MindScrew head trip]] that is ''Adaptation.''[[note]]And, yes, the period is supposed to be part of the title.[[/note]], a 2002 film directed by Creator/SpikeJonze.

This film functions both as a surprisingly effective film version of Orlean's book, with Creator/MerylStreep as Orlean and Creator/ChrisCooper as [=LaRoche=] (for which he won the 2002 Best Supporting Actor Oscar), retaining as much as possible the botanical and historical treatises on orchids; and as a layered deconstruction of the creative process, with neurotic intellectual Charlie (Creator/NicolasCage) and his tortured quest to write a movie where nothing happens, "like in real life", conflicting with his free-spirited twin Donald (oh yeah, Charlie Kaufman gave himself a twin brother [[ActingForTwo also played by]] Creator/NicolasCage) who has written a trashy thriller full of car chases and murders - the exact kind of movie Charlie hates. But it's also increasingly the movie he's in after a meeting with screenwriting mentor [[Literature/{{Story}} Robert [=McKee=]]] (Creator/BrianCox) inspires him to move the story steadily further away from reality. All this plays against the raging existential crisis running incessantly through Charlie's mind.

The theme of "adaptation" gains a triple meaning throughout the film, referring not only to Charlie's attempt to adapt Orleans' novel, but also to the evolutionary marvel of orchids, and also to Charlie's own attempt to evolve, to "learn how to live in the world".

* NatureVersusTechnology: Donald's ClicheStorm movie script includes a chase scene with the killer on horseback and the cop in pursuit on a motorcycle, which Donald describes enthusiastically as "technology versus horse". [[MindScrew And the killer and cop are the same person.]]

* MetaFiction

* {{Postmodernism}}

This only begins to touch upon the {{postmodern}} head trip that is ''Adaptation.''[[note]]And, yes, the period is supposed to be part of the title[[/note]] This film functions both as a surprisingly effective film version of Orlean's book, with Creator/MerylStreep as Orlean and Creator/ChrisCooper as [=LaRoche=] (for which he won the 2002 Best Supporting Actor Oscar), retaining as much as possible the botanical and historical treatises on orchids; and as a layered deconstruction of the creative process, with neurotic intellectual Charlie (Creator/NicolasCage) and his tortured quest to write a movie where nothing happens, "like in real life", conflicting with his free-spirited twin Donald (oh yeah, Charlie Kaufman gave himself a twin brother [[ActingForTwo also played by]] Creator/NicolasCage) who has written a trashy thriller full of car chases and murders - the exact kind of movie Charlie hates. But it's also increasingly the movie he's in after a meeting with screenwriting mentor [[Literature/{{Story}} Robert [=McKee=]]] (Creator/BrianCox) inspires him to move the story steadily further away from reality.

All this plays against the raging existential crisis running incessantly through Charlie's mind. The theme of "adaptation" gains a triple meaning throughout the film, referring not only to Charlie's attempt to adapt Orleans' novel, but also to the evolutionary marvel of orchids, and also to Charlie's own attempt to evolve, to "learn how to live in the world".

The film was directed by Creator/SpikeJonze.