Adaptation **** (2002, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox) – Classic Movie Review 824

Director Spike Jonze’s 2002 comedy drama film Adaptation is a quietly dazzling cult favourite from the maker of Being John Malkovich and Her. There were four Oscar nominations, but there was only one win: Chris Cooper for Best Supporting Actor.

Adapting the book by Susan Orlean, the real-life Charlie Kaufman’s script (written with his brother Donald) is astonishingly clever, even if it isn’t quite as unusual or witty as his brilliant screenplay for Being John Malkovich (1999).

At the start of the film, a writer called Charlie Kaufman is hired by Valerie Thomas for a film adaptation while his latest movie Being John Malkovich is in production.

Nicolas Cage stars as Charlie Kaufman, who enlists the help of his less talented twin Donald (also Cage) when he has writer’s block while trying to adapt Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep)’s non-fiction book The Orchid Thief for a film screenplay. Charlie facetiously tells Donald to go and write a clichéd serial-killer thriller script, which he promptly does, earning himself a million dollars.

‘From the creator of Being John Malkovich, comes the story about the creator of Being John Malkovich.’ Well, yes, Adaptation may be a bit too smart for words — and two Cages are perhaps one too many  — but still it is all genuinely extremely clever and appealing. The writing is adroit and witty, while the performances are first class and perfectly pitched.

And it did scoop a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for a classy Chris Cooper, as rare orchid hunter John Laroche, whose passion for orchids and horticulture made Orlean discover passion and beauty. Oscar-nominated Streep is excellent too, winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Brian Cox pops up as real-life movie-script lecturer Robert McKee, explaining the art of film adaptation. Jokey cameos from Spike Jonze, Susan Orlean, Lance Acord (the director of photography), John Cusack, Catherine Keener and John Malkovich (the three stars of Being John Malkovich) keep the movie-buff appeal high.

Cage as Best Actor and the Kaufmans’ adapted screenplay were also Oscar nominated. By 2023, it is Cage’s only Oscar nomination apart from his Best Actor win for Leaving Las Vegas (1995). No Bafta wins or Golden Globes.

Brian Cox is an Emmy Award-winning Scottish actor, born on June 1, 1946 in Dundee, Scotland.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 824

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