Review of “Adaptation”

Review of “Adaptation(ˌadapˈtāSHən,ˌadəp-)”

By Roger Ebert

Charlie(ˈCHärlē) Kaufman’s(ˈkôfmən) screenplay(ˈskrēnˌplā) for “Adaptation.” (2002) has it three ways. It is wickedly(ˈwikidlē) playful in its construction, it gets the story told, and it doubles back and kids itself. There is also the sense that to some degree it’s true: that it records the torments(ˈtôrment) of a screenwriter who doesn’t know how the hell(hel) to write a movie about orchids(ˈôrkəd). And it has the audacity(ôˈdasədē) to introduce characters we know are based on real people and has them do shocking(ˈSHäkiNG) things.

Even the DVD maintains the illusion(iˈlo͞oZHən) of life colliding(kəˈlīd) with art. The case contains a Columbia(kəˈləmbēə) interoffice memo(ˈmemō), seemingly(ˈsēmiNGlē) included by accident(ˈaksədənt), not even referring(rəˈfər) to this movie. And it is startling(ˈstärtl-iNG) to see an ant crawling(krôl) across the main menu until you get to the dialogue line, “I wish I were an ant.”

The movie is the second collaboration(kəˌlabəˈrāSHən) between Kaufman and director Spike(spīk) Jonze, after the equally(ˈēkwəlē) brilliant(ˈbrilyənt) “Being John Malkovich” (1999). Jonze spends most of his time making music videos and documentaries(ˌdäkyəˈmentərē), but when he makes a movie, it’s a spellbinder(ˈspelˌbīndər), and he has the serene(səˈrēn) confidence(-fəˌdens,ˈkänfədəns) to wade(wād) into this Kaufman screenplay and know that he can pull it off.

The movie is inspired(inˈspīrd) by The Orchid Thief(THēf), by Susan Orlean, a best seller(ˈselər) expanded(ikˈspandəd) from an article in the New Yorker. It involves(inˈvälv) mankind’s(ˈmanˌkīnd,ˌmanˈkīnd) fascination(ˌfasəˈnāSHən) for these extraordinary(ikˈstrôrdnˌerē,ˌekstrəˈôrdn-) flowers, the blood that has been spilled(spil) in collecting them, their boundless illustration(ˌiləˈstrāSHən) of Darwin’s ideas about natural selection and a contemporary(kənˈtempəˌrerē) orchid hunter in Florida(ˈflôridə) who is a strange, compelling(kəmˈpeliNG) man. Considered simply like that, the book might have inspired a National Geographic(ˌjēəˈɡrafik) special.

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https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-adaptation-2002