Adaptation. (2002)

Actors: Ron Livingston (actor), Peter Jason (actor), Gary Farmer (actor), Doug Jones (actor), Gregory Itzin (actor), Curtis Hanson (actor), Spike Jonze (actor), Chris Cooper (actor), Nicolas Cage (actor), Brian Cox (actor), Nicolas Cage (actor), John Cusack (actor), Curt Clendenin (actor), Jim Beaver (actor), John Malkovich (actor),

Plot: While his latest movie _Being John Malkovich (1999)_ (qv) is in production, screenwriter 'Charlie Kaufman' (qv) is hired by Valerie Thomas to adapt 'Susan Orlean' (qv)'s non-fiction book "The Orchid Thief" for the screen. Thomas bought the movie rights before Orlean wrote the book, when it was only an article in The New Yorker. The book details the story of rare orchid hunter John Laroche, whose passion for orchids and horticulture made Orlean discover passion and beauty for the first time in her life. Charlie wants to be faithful to the book in his adaptation, but despite Laroche himself being an interesting character in his own right, Charlie is having difficulty finding enough material in Laroche to fill a movie, while equally not having enough to say cinematically about the beauty of orchids. At the same time, Charlie is going through other issues in his life. His insecurity as a person doesn't allow him to act upon his feelings for Amelia Kavan, who is interested in him as a man. And Charlie's twin brother, pretentious 'Donald Kaufman (I)' (qv), has moved into his house with a goal of also becoming a screenwriter. Despite not admiring Donald as a screenwriter, Charlie asks for his advice. Together, they feel that there is some interesting subtext in the book on which Orlean herself can only elaborate, if only Charlie has the nerve to talk to her. If she can't or won't elaborate, they may have to find out the meaning of that subtext on their own.

Keywords: actor-playing-multiple-roles, alienation, alligator, alligator-attack, author, bad-back, bad-english, based-on-novel, bee, behind-the-scenes
Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama,
Taglines: From the creator of Being John Malkovich, comes the story about the creator of Being John Malkovich. Charlie Kaufman writes the way he lives... With Great Difficulty. His Twin Brother Donald Lives the way he writes... with foolish abandon. Susan writes about life... But can't live it. John's life is a book... Waiting to be adapted. One story... Four Lives... A million ways it can end.

Quotes:

Susan Orlean: What I came to understand is that change is not a choice. Not for a species of plant, and not for me.

Charlie Kaufman: Today is the first day of the rest of my life

John Laroche: Who's gonna play me?::Susan Orlean: Well, I've gotta write the book first, John. Then, you know, they get somebody to write the screenplay.::John Laroche: Hey, I think I should play me.

[last lines]::Charlie Kaufman: I have to go right home. I know how to finish the script now. It ends with Kaufman driving home after his lunch with Amelia, thinking he knows how to finish the script. Shit, that's voice-over. McKee would not approve. How else can I show his thoughts? I don't know. Oh, who cares what McKee says? It feels right. Conclusive. I wonder who's gonna play me. Someone not too fat. I liked that Gerard Depardieu, but can he not do the accent? Anyway, it's done. And that's something. So: "Kaufman drives off from his encounter with Amelia, filled for the first time with hope." I like this. This is good.

Charlie Kaufman: There was this time in high school. I was watching you out the library window. You were talking to Sarah Marsh.::Donald Kaufman: Oh, God. I was so in love with her.::Charlie Kaufman: I know. And you were flirting with her. And she was being really sweet to you.::Donald Kaufman: I remember that.::Charlie Kaufman: Then, when you walked away, she started making fun of you with Kim Canetti. And it was like they were laughing at *me*. You didn't know at all. You seemed so happy.::Donald Kaufman: I knew. I heard them.::Charlie Kaufman: How come you looked so happy?::Donald Kaufman: I loved Sarah, Charles. It was mine, that love. I owned it. Even Sarah didn't have the right to take it away. I can love whoever I want.::Charlie Kaufman: But she thought you were pathetic.::Donald Kaufman: That was her business, not mine. You are what you love, not what loves you. That's what I decided a long time ago.::Donald Kaufman: Whats up?::Charlie Kaufman: Thank you.::Donald Kaufman: For what?

John Laroche: [about himself] The smartest guy I know, huh?

Susan Orlean: I suppose I do have one unembarrassed passion. I want to know what it feels like to care about something passionately.

Valerie Thomas: I guess we thought that maybe Susan Orlean and Leroche could fall in love, and...::Charlie Kaufman: Okay. But, I'm saying, it's like, I don't want to cram in sex or guns or car chases, you know... or characters, you know, learning profound life lessons or growing or coming to like each other or overcoming obstacles to succeed in the end, you know. I mean... The book isn't like that, and life isn't like that. You know, it just isn't. And... I feel very strongly about this.

Charlie Kaufman: The script I'm starting, it's about flowers. Nobody's ever done a movie about flowers before. So, so there are no guidelines...::Donald Kaufman: What about "Flowers for Algernon"?::Charlie Kaufman: Well, that's not about flowers. And it's not a movie.::Donald Kaufman: Ok, I'm sorry, I never saw it.

Charlie Kaufman: To begin... To begin... How to start? I'm hungry. I should get coffee. Coffee would help me think. Maybe I should write something first, then reward myself with coffee. Coffee and a muffin. Okay, so I need to establish the themes. Maybe a banana-nut. That's a good muffin.

A Fight for Jenny (1986)

Actors: Robert Greenwald (producer), William Atherton (actor), Matthew Faison (actor), Robert Florio (editor), Drew Snyder (actor), Philip Michael Thomas (actor), Jean Smart (actress), Lesley Ann Warren (actress), Lynne Moody (actress), Richard Partlow (actor), Kenneth Kimmins (actor), Peggy Walton-Walker (actress), James Staley (actor), Wally Taylor (actor), Lindsay Beamish (actress),

Plot: Warren is remarried and tries to get custody of the child of her first marriage. Her struggle is tough, because her present husband, Thomas, is black.

Keywords: child-custody, custody-battle, ex-husband-ex-wife-relationship, father-daughter-relationship, husband-wife-relationship, interracial-couple, interracial-marriage, interracial-relationship, interracial-romance, marriage
Genres: Drama,