Movie Review: Adaptation

Adpatation

With the Oscar® buzz surrounding Adaptation (the film was nominated in four categories), this was a movie I really wanted to see prior to the awards. Unfortunately, being considered largely an "art" film, it never made it to the more mainstream theatres in my town. It did, however, finally end up at my local video rental store, and I snatched it off the shelf the moment I saw it there. When I checked out, the store owner told me that everyone he knew who had seen it either loved it or hated it, and he was interested in knowing into which group I would fall. The answer is that, even with my high expectations after the glowing reviews it had received, I wasn't disappointed.

Adaptation conveys the struggle of writer Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) to adapt "The Orchid Thief" for a movie. The book, which is based on a short story by the same name, is the work of New Yorker magazine reporter Susan Orleans (Meryl Streep). Orleans, who is writing about the prized orchid and its many varieties as well as those who will do almost anything to get them, finds a focus for her story - and in a strange way, for her life - in the person of John LaRoche (Chris Cooper). LaRoche is an expert on plants in general and orchids in specific. Orleans is both repulsed and attracted by his brilliance and odd behavior, and writes her story accordingly. Kaufman likes the book. In fact, he likes it so much that he wants to keep it as "pure" an adaptation as possible. Unfortunately, the book is largely filled with narrative rather than action, and he's stymied for an opening let alone an interesting middle and end. Kaufman's identical twin brother, Donald (also played by Nicolas Cage) has no such problem. Having decided to be a screenwriter like his brother, he promptly sits down and writes a script that's nothing like his brother would ever have written, which is only reasonable since he's got little in common with his brother at all. Donald is as outgoing as Charlie is reserved, and though Charlie tries to learn from Donald, he's utterly incapable of getting past his own low opinion of himself.

As Charlie comes under increasing pressure to come up with a screenplay, he finds himself writing himself into the story. In fits and false starts, the script starts to come together. And as the adaptation of the novel proceeds, Charlie finds that the people in and around the story must also adapt if they are to ever find happiness in life.

Adaptation is quirky, to be sure, and it probably could be termed something of an "art" film. It's also very well acted and extraordinarily well written. Nicolas Cage was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar™ for his portrayal of Charlie and Donald, and deservedly so. The angst of Charlie's character seems to come naturally to Cage, but so does Donald's ebulliance. (As an aside, Adaptation can't really be considered a special effects film, though perhaps it should be. The effort to make Cage appear as twins was entirely successful.) Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper were both nominated for Supporting Actor awards (Cooper won). While Streep is never less than extraordinary on screen, and Cooper's brilliance has become well known in recent years via such performances as those in American Beauty and Seabiscuit, Cooper deserved the accolades he got for his portrayal of John LaRoche, a man in deep pain but blessed with a brilliance and a talent not to be denied. The fourth Oscar™ nomination for Adaptation was for its screenwriters: Charlie and Donald Kaufman. Conceptually, Adaptation is astounding. As an executed screenplay, it proved as amazing as the idea. Adaptation is not a movie I could watch again and again. It is, however, a film I am truly delighted to have seen once, and I recommend it without reservation to those who love and appreciate filmmaking at its peak.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Adaptation is rated R. There is minimal nudity, but there is strong sexual content as well as some rough langauge and a few very violent images. The topic and the presentation of it are also mature and complex. In no way is this a movie for children. But for those 18 and older, it's a terrific experience, and even a little life lesson all rolled up into one really great movie.