CAST AND CREDITS: STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, Cara Seymour DIRECTED BY: Spike Jonze WRITTEN BY: Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman, Susan Orlean PRODUCED BY: Jonathan Demme, Edward Saxon, Vincent Landay DISTRIBUTED BY: Columbia Pictures RATING USA... Rated R for language, sexuality, some drug use and violent images RATING CANADA... Rated Adult Accompaniment for coarse language and some violence.

Comedy Drama One story... Four Lives... A million ways it can end.

"I'm a walking cliche." A self indulgent script written by self indulgent screenwriters gives us a self indulgent movie that makes me wonder why it was even made. The only problem is that ADAPTATION is technicially a good movie. The acting is good and the idea behind the story is good but it just plain irritated me and most of the people I saw it with. I know I should like the film and in a lot of places I did, but too many times during the movie I kept staring at my watch hoping for something sane to happen or for it to at least be over. Many mixed emotions here people. This is one of those times when I urge you to go see it and make up you're own mind because I can not make up my mind about ADAPTATION, so it would not be fair for me to dismiss this film as one to be avoided. I've seen others that really need to be avoided but that is fodder for other reviews. If you enjoyed BEING JOHN MALKOVICH then you will probably also enjoy Spike Jonze's ADAPTATION.

"Why should I be made to apologize for my existance." A little background here as best as I can make out. In 1999 after the reasonable theatrical success of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH screenwriter Charlie Kaufman was quickly hired to do a script treatment of the best selling novel by Susan Orlean, THE ORCHID THIEF. It was the widely praised story of a journalist who discovered the true meaning of frevor while she recorded the adventures of a spirited poacher entrepreneur named John Laroche who in 1994 was arrested along with three Seminole Indians. They were caught with rare orchids they had pilfered from a South Florida swamp. Laroche had plans to clone and sell these rare orchids for a small fortune. His arrest set off one of the oddest legal controversies that brought together environmentalists, Native American activists as well as devoted orchid collectors. "I've been on this planet for nearly 40 years and I'm no closer to understanding why I'm here." After Kaufmann worked on the script for six months, he still could not figure out a way to turn the story in a viable screen treatment. He still liked the material he was working from and wanted to finish it somehow. Writer's block kicked in and he became ultimately disheartened. Kaufman came up with his radical approach to the problem. With the approval of the author he combined the novel with his own experiences at attempting to pen the screenplay. He put into the story, all his problems, reservations and frustrations and experiences at arriving at the script. It isn't until he gets to the climax of the movie where he goes off track and gets really wierd. Actually it almost seems like we ended up in a total different movie. Still the film is remarkably intellectual. "Writing is a journey into the unknown." Charlie Kaufman is played by Nicolas Cage as a balding, highly neurotic writer. The fictional twin brother Donald, is also played by Cage but as a totally differnt character. Donald is more confident and self assured and it really annoys Charlie, especially when Donald's first screenplay is picked up for a movie. What really annoys Charlie is that the script sucks really bad; it is Hollywood tripe that seems to go over while he can not finish what he considers his work of art. The films funny moments usually center around the interaction between the two brothers. The interaction is so good that you would think they were played by two different actors. "You know why I love flowers? They're beautiful adaptations of profond process." The lonely Susan Orlean is played by Meryl Streep. I'm not a big Streep fan but when it gets near the climax of the film she plays the character so off the wall that I actually enjoyed her portrayal. John Laroche is played by Chris Cooper as a man that is passionate about what he believes in even though he is a little wacky at times. Brian Cox sharply impersonates popular screenwriting teacher Robert McKee. Donald takes classes with McKee and ends up writing his accepted screenplay, THE 3 because of him. Charlie ends up getting advice of him as well. "I don't want to die Donald; I've wasted my life." The story basically follows the processes that Charlie goes through to get this story down on paper. What will make it hard for the audience is all the jumping around Charlie does in different time periods. He goes forward in time and suddenly he is back in time and then in the present and then back to the past and then heads back a little farther back into the past then he heads back into...ahh the heck with it. If you go to see it, just try to keep up. "I wonder who is going to play me. I hope he's not too fat. Gerard Depardieu maybe." Anyway this movie has lots tpo offer to the right audience and since written descriptions of the plot would get me nowhere all I can say is go see ADAPTATION if you think this type of film is for you if not spend your money on some easier to take film viewing. This films greatest strength is the writing style there is no denying that, so I will sign off with some extra quotes to intrigue you. "Not rules, principles." "I can see your sadness; it's lovely." "By simply doing what they are designed to do, something magnificient happens." "Nothing happens in the world? Are you out of your mind?." "Find an ending and don't cheat." "The relationship ends when the story ends." "You are what you love, not what loves you."

"Everyday somewhere, someone makes a conscious decision to destroy some one else's life."

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