English 2
Passion is one characteristic that drives creative individuals, enabling them to commit themselves and give everything they can to a thing they love to do. While some are successful in achieving what they desire, others are less successful in realizing their desires. They can only watch from afar, wanting to be absorbed. This anxiety is what the movie, “Adaptation” presents. Directed by Spike Jonze, and written by Charlie Kaufman, this semi-autobiographical film focused on Kaufman’s personal struggles in adapting the book The Orchid Thief. Likewise, this movie also presents the melancholy of having creative freedom when you know that you will be the only one responsible for its outcome. The movie’s complexity, uniqueness and closeness to reality are what made the viewers wanted to stay, analyze and relate to it.
This movie’s chief protagonist (Kaufman) and screenwriter were initially hired to adapt the semi-true story book The Orchid Thief written by Susan Orlean (played by Meryl Streep). This book focused on south-Floridan orchid collector John Laroche, played by Chris Cooper, and his passion of collecting and intense studies he conducts on them. Kaufman originally tried to come up with a conventional drama to adapt the book; however, he wasn’t able to conceptualize it. Instead, he ended up writing a script of the book and consequently, found himself doing a movie a about a screenwriter, which unconsciously is himself, reflecting his difficulties in adapting the book.
In addition to Kaufman, there’s Charlie and his twin brother Donald, both played by Nicolas Cage, who was very clever and spontaneous while performing his role. Donald stayed with his brother’s Hollywood home while trying to live his dream of becoming a screenwriter. Although, the two brothers are identical twins, they differ in their characteristics. Donald has multiple characteristics that makes him easily swoon beautiful girls while Charlie is lonesome and thinks that it is a pathetic thing to include himself in his script.
Charlie’s character makes the film very touching. He is intense in trying to produce a film which will come out different from all other conventional films. He aims for a smooth running and peaceful film to get away with placing conflicts in the film. This passion however, affected his personal life to the point that that it has become aimless. Although, he doesn’t want to add conflicts to his story, contrary to screenwriting guru Robert McKee’s (played by Brian Cox) advised, he admits he did teach him that if as a screenwriter, you were able to find logic in the story you are working on, then maybe you can also figure out the logic of your life. What Charlie is experiencing is also experienced by several film viewers in their daily lives. Sometimes, we come to the point that we are so engrossed in what we want to achieve that we tend to forget that we have a life which must be treated separately.
The movie is complex in such a way that, although, Kaufman was the main protagonist, Susan Orlean, also took the center stage in the movie when he joined Laroche in the Everglades in search for rare orchids, and eventually searching for something that she may be passionate about. Aside from the plot, the time frame adds up to its complexity. The time frame of the movie is quite extensive as it goes far back as the start of the planet and Charles Darwin’s time. With this, the movie has also become a very informative and historical in a sense.
While analyzing the characters of Meryl Streep and Charlie, it can be concluded that they share the same characteristics, making them soulmates, as they both seem to be disconnected from the world however; they weren’t able to have a chance to meet her. Although, there were chances of meeting up, Charlie spoils the moment because he chickens up and doesn’t have the nerve to approach her. This triggered the movie to pose numerous characteristics as it also built erotic scenarios for both the authors making the viewer’s imagine their real lives. In particular, Charlie’s fantasies Susan, even if it is not his intention to do so. In the book, Susan and Laroche are mere acquaintances, but in the Adaptation their story become lovers. Since, Adaptation, has become Charlie’s interpretation of the book, this can’t be question aside from the fact that indeed, there is logic behind it. Although Larouche might not have all the good physical qualities, he has some humor which can make Susan fall in love with her. This characteristic is exactly what Charlie is looking for, and in fact is portraying himself. These scenes are common scenes in the real world, making the viewers relate to the story as most of them might have experienced these in real life.
This movie has been very successful in conveying and interpreting how a lot of people find themselves lacking in passion or failing to find something that they would be excited to see or to feel when they wake up the next day and how they desire to end the emptiness of the feeling they have. Adaptation is a movie that shows real-life scenes. While Charlie is giving his all to create a quality movie he had hard time making money and become known. On the other hand, his brother is making a fortune through his simple humorous scripts. However, this movie also showed that even with all the things around us today, especially ideas, something new can still be created. It is also proof that everything has not been through yet. Every one of us can still think of something unique that we can share with the world.
Works Cited
Austine Pea State University (n.d.). Writing a Movie Review. www.apsu.edu. Web. 12 May 2013
Jonathan Demme, P. P. (Producer), & Spike Jonze, D. D. (Director). (2002). Adaptation [Motion picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.
