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Adaptation

Play trailer 2:23 Poster for Adaptation R 2002 1h 54m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 207 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, and her book, become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the others'.
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Adaptation

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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Joshua Rothkopf In These Times Mar 16, 2020
There's no good reason why this should work-the picture is a schizzy, self-indulgent mess-but magically, it does. Go to Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media Sep 2, 2010
5/5
Adult stuff only but hilarious and fresh. Go to Full Review David Ansen Newsweek Jul 6, 2010
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. Go to Full Review Charlotte Simmons The Treatment (Substack) Jan 31, 2026
Kaufman’s experience is not for me, just as my experience is not for anybody else, just as the experience that Charlie commits to at the outset of Adaptation is not for him. Go to Full Review Stephen Silver Tilt Magazine Dec 13, 2022
4/5
While not quite as absurd as Being John Malkovich had been, Adaptation was indeed plenty weird. (20th anniversary) Go to Full Review Vadim Rizov Filmmaker Magazine Nov 29, 2022
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 11, 2026 Adaptation = a 4.5 str Movie! See more Jack F @MovieFan111 Aug 26, 2026 It was a little hard to understand but I enjoyed it for the most part. See more ALAN B @AlanOneness Aug 23, 2026 A flawless ten-star masterpiece, with an well-deserved four extra. This film is a recurring sanctuary for me; each viewing offers new lessons in directorial precision, script mechanics, and creative storytelling boundaries. It represents the absolute pinnacle of cinematic craftsmanship, and it is a sobering reflection on Hollywood that works of this caliber are so rarely produced today. See more Jonathan H @jonmpls Jul 2, 2026 Fantastic movie! Watch the also-brilliant movie 'Being John Malkovich' first. See more Vixo S @vixo_six Jun 9, 2026 Adaptation is much more than a film about writing a screenplay. Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze turn creative paralysis into a reflection on fear, desire, identity and the difficulty of controlling life. The film works because each character becomes a mirror of the same human struggle. Charlie represents insecurity and avoidance, Donald offers freedom and confidence, Susan reflects emptiness behind success, and Laroche embodies the need to love something fully. Nicolas Cage gives one of his strongest performances, making both brothers feel distinct and emotionally precise. Kaufman's screenplay is layered without losing its humanity, while Jonze keeps the film intimate and accessible despite its complexity. Its ending feels honest because growth does not arrive as a total transformation, but as a small act of courage. Adaptation finds beauty in failure, in uncertainty and in the effort to keep moving forward. See more Keith C. @presto1989 May 4, 2026 One of the worst movies I have ever seen. I almost had to take my wifes movie renting privileges. See more Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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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

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Adaptation

Meryl Streep plays author Susan Orlean, a woman who discovers real passion for the first time in her life, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. Journalist Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) literally falls in love with her work, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. New Yorker writer Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) allows her professional assignment to grow into a private passion, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage, left) corners screenwriting guru Robert McKee (Brian Cox) in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Nicolas Cage find easy romance in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. Twin-brothers Charlie, left, and Donald Kaufman (both played by Nicolas Cage) discuss the finer points of screenwriting, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. John Laroche (Chris Cooper) tries to help journalist Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) understand the true beauty of the orchid species, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep star in the Columbia Pictures presentation, ADAPTATION. Nicolas Cage (center) plays Charlie Kaufman, a stymied writer who seeks advice from screenwriting guru Robert McKee, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. When screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) tries to adapt The Orchid Thief to the screen, he develops a serious case of writer's block, in Columbia Pictures' unconventional comedy Adaptation. View more photos

Movie Info

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, and her 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
Clinica Estetico, InterMedia Film Equities Ltd.
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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