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Adaptation.
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7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 116 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 116
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 116
  3. Negative: 15 out of 116

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  1. ryancarroll88
    Aug 27, 2010
    9
    Self Indulgent? Yep. Pretentious? Of course. But the real miracle here is how the film can take all of these self-references and neuroses to create a story of characters with which the viewer can empathize and actors can let their talent shine (most notably Nicolas Cage in his dual role). And believe me, I would give this movie a lot less credit if the screenplay wasn't so damn good.
  2. CarlyH.
    Jan 6, 2003
    8
    I'm honest enough to acknowledge that I am probably too young to fully grasp this movie. I've enjoyed Charlie Kaufman's other movies, and Adaptation certainly delivers a similar unique (oxymoron?) theater-going experience. Adults will walk out having learned a life lesson. Teenagers and the immature, like myself, will be desparate to find out what in the plot actually happened in real life... seriously...… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. Noah
    Jun 3, 2003
    4
    Surprise! It's not NEARLY as clever as it thinks it is! It tells the same jokes over and over until at the end, it throws you for a loop with a hilariously improbable conclusion that makes you wonder if critics saw the same film... It's not a film for smart people, but rather one that psuedo-cinemaphiles tend to recognize as "smart" and thus cling to. Therefore, by association, they are also deemed "smart." Best film of 2002? Please. They must not have seen Bloody Sunday. Now there's a film that make you think.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  4. SibleyR.
    Mar 2, 2003
    10
    Amazing film--funny, poignant, exhilarating; the best film since (surprise surprise) Being John Malkovich.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. TyS.
    Jun 25, 2003
    2
    Would not recommend this to anyone at all. Why was I so looking forward to watching this ? It is obvious why. I was keen after reading all the so called experts say it was such a good this and this but it was really just a tired old bag of cliches. Cage has a habit of picking these non charismatic parts as no one could make his characters seem lively or any of the characters for that matter, This was as bad as I have seen of late and that takes into account a few very bad ones as well......... While i admire the guts and courage to create this movie and gather such a good cast (on paper) and realise it is so easy to sit back and throw insults at the work ,I really do feel this is a total loss as far as watchability.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. TyS.
    Jun 25, 2003
    2
    Would not recommend this to anyone at all. Why was I so looking forward to watching this ? It is obvious why. I was keen after reading all the so called experts say it was such a good this and this but it was really just a tired old bag of cliches. Cage has a habit of picking these non charismatic parts as no one could make his characters seem lively or any of the characters for that matter, This was as bad as I have seen of late and that takes into account a few very bad ones as well......... While i admire the guts and courage to create this movie and gather such a good cast (on paper) and realise it is so easy to sit back and throw insults at the work ,I really do feel this is a total loss as far as watchability.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. Elliott
    Jun 3, 2003
    7
    It's not necessarily bad, but it's far from the brilliant film that some are hailing it to be. Adaptation stands as the prime example of a film that is too damn smart for its own good: it ends up being a lot easier to appreciate than to genuinely like. The concluding segments, although somewhat necessary to pack the punchline the movie has been building up to, are neither refreshing nor pleasant - they instead ring false in virtually every aspect. It is hard to believe the characters we've been watching would be capable of the violence the movie ends with, and, to the great disadvantage to the movie, we choose not to. However, even with the disappointing conclusion, it is hard to erase the exhilarating humor and madness that occurred beforehand. To thoroughly enjoy Adaptation, stop watching it fifteen minutes early. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. BenA.
    Aug 10, 2003
    10
    This may have been the best movie of 02. I am dumbfounded to see that people are giving it poor reviews. They must not have the mental capacity to appreciate such amazing movies.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. Layne
    Jul 10, 2005
    9
    As a misplaced soul, Meryl Streep is heartwinning and spiritual, and then as a person who finds love, she becomes winsome and flirtatious. This is a side of Meryl we haven't seen; one particular moment after she has been drugged by the orchid, Streep shines in a moment of such completely naked and heartfelt honesty, as she can barely contain her love for Cooper's character. And then they both, together, imitate the dial tone, and you know that this movie is something special. But I have only singled out one performance (a fantastic one, at that) and one scene (a brilliant one in a film with alot of them). Everything about Adaptation shines with the sheer creative energy of its writer, its director, and these unimprovable actors.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. mariar.
    Aug 23, 2005
    10
    Best scprit by Kaufman ever, best acting by Cage ever. A must.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. NK
    Oct 18, 2009
    10
    People who think this was poorly written are not paying attention! Kaufman gets as close as any masterpiece I've known to expressing something true and simple and universal. The humor and wit are clever (I get the "winking at the audience" part), but beyond being playful, they are executed with such a steady and deliberate hand to lend to a greater, troubling problem of how to survive -- to preserve our uniquely human consciousness -- in an era of mass-production. Fantastic, reflexive and self-indulgent? Yes. And yet! It still issues a "message" (for unfortunate lack of better word) relevant to the world we live in. This is a film you can watch repeatedly and find something new every time.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. QueenAlexandra
    Dec 18, 2002
    10
    Agonizing paralysis, piercing loss, love, imagination, passion, compassion, humor -- perfectly woven.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  13. AlbertR.
    Dec 6, 2002
    10
    Much funnier than "Malkovich" in my opinion, though the films shouldn't be compared. Cage hasn't been this good since "Raising Arizona." An absolute must-see.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. StringerB.
    Dec 6, 2002
    10
    Exelente!! 'Nuff said.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. BronxvilleFilmFan
    Dec 6, 2002
    8
    Inventive and creative, YES. The performances are also incredibly strong. The film reads, though, more like a teenage boy's fantasy: lots of violence, wet dreaming, and masturbation. It's a good film, absolutely--one that simmers in originality and creativity. I'm just not as "Woo Hoo!" about it as others, although I really did enjoy the film.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  16. PatC.
    Nov 3, 2003
    5
    A mesmerizing story, believable and well acted. Vehicle accident realism beyond belief. Then saddled with a Hollywood formula Top 40 ending. The Turtles, Happy Together, come on. Anybody who liked that song when it came out hates it now, along with that period in their adolescence. Reveals the underlying intent of this movie, which, whatever it is, is too pretentious to be worth identifying. This is Blue Velvet with schmaltz.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  17. FrankieD.
    Jan 10, 2003
    7
    A good enjoyable film, but the cute little trick is obvious from the beginning and the last half hour is absurd.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  18. BarryR.
    Jan 5, 2003
    8
    This is a movie that starts slowly and, in its own way, builds to a crescendo of interest and nuance that makes it all very worthwhile. Stellar performances by Nicholas Cage, Chris Moore and Meryl Streep make this film worth watching. Perhaps the best way to describe this film is to tell you that its worth will only be realized some time after you leave the theater when the depth and creativity of this screenplay finally come to grips with your reality and intelligence. This is a "writer's movie" and those engaged in the process of putting thoughts down on paper will appreciate this film more than most. But writer or viewer, it is a film well worth seeing and enjoying. I frankly thought I would not enjoy the rest of the movie after the first 10 minutes of it but I was totally wrong in my anticipation. My fears were never realized and, in fact, I was pleasantly surprised and very glad that I went to see the film. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  19. DavidR.
    Feb 10, 2003
    10
    A wonderfully self-referential film which will keep you guessing as to what is real and what is fiction. The movie opens in real life with real people playing themselves. It then tells a story about a real book and author played by actors. And finishes with a story line which is pure fiction.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  20. SamB.
    Mar 1, 2003
    8
    This movie is a good example of a silly film for smart people. see it.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  21. AleksandarB.
    May 4, 2003
    0
    Just one word - horrible!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  22. Jessy
    May 7, 2003
    10
    BRILLIANT!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  23. JasonZ.
    Jun 2, 2003
    9
    "Adaptation" is an American masterpiece. Jonze & the Kaufman brothers continue to amaze audiences with their sublime brilliance. That said, this film is not for everyone. Intricately layered, "Adaptation" is a film about a screenwriter writing a film about a book that's about a man who collects things ... fish, pornography, orchids, etc. To discern what is TRUTH or FICTION can be ... at times ... confusing, but that's the point ... this film is ABOUT adaptation on every level including how the viewer can adapt to the sudden shifts in voice, character narration, time, etc. Those of you who relish postmodern cinema (Pulp Fiction, Being John Malkovich) will find great joy in this screenplay. The acting is superb ... Chris Cooper steals the show with his subtly hilarious turn as a simple-intellectual orchid thief. Nic Cage proves once again that, if given a good script, he can actually act!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  24. MichaelM.
    Oct 23, 2004
    9
    This movie is a great movie. Although very peculiar, it is very good. The story is kind of confusing, but it amused me in the theater. The definite highlight of the movie is the acting. Nicolas Cage does a great job as the Kaufman twins, Charlie and Donald. Meryl Streep hands in a fantastic performance as Susan Orlean, the writer of the book Charlie is trying to adapt into a screenplay, "The Orchid Thief". The best performance given in the whole movie is Chris Cooper's. He gives he best performance to date as the dirty-looking, weird, partly stupid, orchid thief, who is missing all of his front teeth. The movie is strictly for people who enjoy mind games in the theater. People who like an easy to follow story will hate this movie. Personally, I enjoyed it and apparently the critics raved about it. If you enjoy this movie, be sure to see Kaufman's first film "Being John Malkovich". (2/12/03)… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  25. MikeF.
    Jun 27, 2004
    9
    I swear to god if i read another bad review from a user who calls something BORING im going to go on a rampage. Put more weight into a movie than how cool you thought the fight scenes were.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  26. MichaelS.
    Feb 21, 2005
    8
    Not for all tastes. But great for those who "get" it.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  27. lukeb
    May 8, 2008
    10
    A brilliant film, quite possibly my favorite film, it is beyond me why anyone can give this flick 0/10, i say they either lack the intelligence to appreciate an innovative creation or they should stick to predictable and simple flicks and avoid anything a bit different or challenging. This film has it all, great acting, cage and cooper give oscar worthy performances, i'm glad cooper got best supporting actor but why cage didn't get best actor is beyond me, this is his best performance, well at least in the films i've seen him in. Spike Jonze delivers stunning cinematography with an equally engaging narrative. This film is both comic and profoundly moving at the same time. being John Malcovich is a very good film, don't get me wrong but this is better, this is superb. Also look out for the countless in jokes mocking the conventional, predictable hollywood films. Especially the scene with Swinton and cage, Michael Clayton starring Tilda Swinton is an epitome of the kind of flick cage is trying to avoid making his screenplay like.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  28. A.Zubatov
    Dec 10, 2002
    5
    ?Adaptation? is full of itself, both literally and figuratively. However, the literal part (i.e., a movie that is about its own making) has been done literally ? or at least figuratively ? hundreds of times before, and much more enjoyably at that. ?The Player,? ?Deconstructing Harry? and the magnificent ?8 ½? come to mind, but there is probably at least one instance every movie-going season (the clumsily executed documentary ?Derrida? is one example from earlier this fall). Thus, only the figurative part is left, which is to say that ?Adaptation? is way too excited about its own tired content, or, to use speak in the movie?s own terms, ?Adaptation? is a kind of Ourabouros so over-eager to take a big bite out of its own tail that it has swallowed its own head in the process. For all its depictions of blasé film-industry-types, ?8 ½? managed to feel fresh and inspired, something ?Adaptation? never quite achieves. By the time midway through the film when Kaufman is sitting in bed, writing feverishly about what he is doing at that very moment, thereby making the film?s self-referentiality explicit, what should feel like a revelation and a defining moment instead feels like a stump speech, with brevity as its sole virtue. The movie, not unlike the politico?s campaign train, keeps rushing along, stopping at many destinations along the way, but only so that Kaufman can make a big show of disembarking with his impressive entourage and repeat the same message at each stop on the well-worn trail. Kaufman, the screenwriter though not the character, has wit and cleverness in abundance. He is a great humorist, and ?Being John Malkovich? was a testament to that. But he has not, thus far, shown himself capable of the intellectual heft of a Woody Allen, for example, that is necessary to sustain and give substance to his antics and elevate them above the realm of light comedy. This is, perhaps, the reason that both ?Being John Malkovich? and ?Adaptation? collapse of their own weight to earth towards the end. ?Adaptation?s? meltdown is more spectacular than its predecessor?s, and no less so despite the self-consciousness with which it is accomplished. Kaufman?s eponymous character admits to us his inability to find an ending for the film. After that, it is nothing less than a major cop-out to go ahead and show us that inability in all its embarrassing glory. The second greatest irony of ?Adaptation? is that its most interesting, thought-provoking and dramatic sequences involve John Laroche, Susan Orlean and the orchid hunt itself. That Kaufman was unable to mine that material for a sustained screenplay and felt obliged to insert his failure to do so into the film may make the movie tritely self-referential, but it does not make the movie any better. The greatest irony of ?Adaptation,? therefore, may be Kaufman?s inability to adapt, as a writer, to the promising material he was given. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  29. JerryH.
    Dec 4, 2002
    9
    Brilliant! This movie has everything a great movie needs -- sex, drugs, guns and car chases. I can't wait for 'The 3'.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  30. KelvinC.
    Dec 6, 2002
    10
    Absolutely the most amazing and beautiful film of the year... i've been waiting for months for this movie to be released, and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. WAY better than "Malkovich" hopefully the film will win some Oscars.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  31. It'sGilbertMulroneycakes...OrIsIt?
    Oct 28, 2003
    9
    Well, there's a mindf**k for you. Compulsively watchable, despite being incredibly confusing, right to the final twenty minutes...which if you haven't been paying attention, seem like a bloody little sell-out, but of course aren't. Your best bet is to go into the movie clutching feverishly onto the knowledge that the film they are making in the story is the same one as the film that you are watching. It's far more enjoyable than that, of course, because it doesn't stay in one place long enough to confuse. It bounds about with manic energy and you're bound along with it. It's intelligent and provocative filmaking in Bermuda shorts. Oh, and Nic Cage is brilliant (twice), as is Streep, Cooper, Coxy and that one string-instrument lady whose name escapes me. Shame we didn't get to see the real adaptation of the Orchid Thief, because it would have been pretty good, going by this. One can only wonder what the real Susan Orlean and the real John Laroche think about this - especially the last twenty minutes, where the film finally absorbs the true reality altogether like a sponge and inhabits its own reality instead. Not really that confusing. Honest. Reccomended, but see "Being John Malkovich" first to get a feel for the director and writer. And character. Brain...hurts...… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  32. LouisP.
    Feb 20, 2003
    10
    This is one of 2002's best film. The acting is perfect. The rating should read 15 but it stops at 10. This movie rocks the way no movie has rocked before.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  33. AdamE.
    Mar 12, 2003
    9
    So far, for me, the best film of the year. Terrific performances, an excellent script and brilliant directing make this film a definite MUST SEE!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  34. WACKOJACKO
    May 21, 2003
    0
    Yes, a silly movie for all 33 smart people who actually saw it. I'm just glad I waited for it to com to the dollar theater because then I did not feel like I needed to stay awake.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  35. JohnP.
    May 28, 2003
    7
    Lots of fun..... until the end......!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  36. C.O.
    Jun 13, 2003
    1
    Absolutely awful. Characters are not likable, and the movie is not enjoyable to watch. It's just plain not entertaining or compelling in any way and isn't that what watching a movie are supposed to be about.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  37. JamesO.
    Nov 19, 2004
    10
    Amazing!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  38. JamesM
    Nov 19, 2005
    10
    [***SPOILERS***] Personally I am appalled that this movie did not become an instant classic. It is no understatement to say that the screenplay is up there with Pulp Fiction as one of the best ever written, the directing is superb, Nicholas Cage deserved two separate oscars for his portrayals of both Donald and Charlie and best of all the film is so intelligent. I loved how Charlie was mocking Robert McKee by including deus ex machina in the films conclusion just because he was told not to. I adore the scene where Charlie asks Donald if he can hekp him out with the script because it is at this point exactly where the film it is no longer a story about a writer's frustration and dissapointment, but rather a story of intrigue, drugs and car chases. In the films final scenes ***SPOILER*** we are finally given the reasoning for this: the entire point of the third act was to kill off the Donald personality once and for all. ***END SPOLIER*** We must realise, of course, that Donald and Charlie are the same person, with Charlie being the intelligent one who wants to write original screenplays, while Donald wants to write that Jerry Bruckhiemer blockbuster. But I cannot explain how perfectly this film adresses every topic it wants to address, and how it magnificently explains the struggles of a writer. Easily Kaufman's best screenplay and Jonze's best film. Amazing in every sense of the word.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  39. ChrisF
    Oct 31, 2005
    10
    Oh my goodness do I feel sorry for those sad few who do not "get" this movie. You truly have to be either arrogant, pretentious or inhuman to not be enchanted with this hilarious tale of the bizzare reality in which humans and nature entertwine.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  40. NeesM.
    Jan 30, 2005
    0
    This film SUCKS but will appeal to the average American. It’s the story of a pathetic, self-obsessed, annoyingly introspective screenwriter who overcomes his fatness/baldness/ugliness/general uselessness to be a winner and get the girl. Woody Allen excelled at creating this class of individual - the self-loathing, self-deprecating sack of neurosis who can’t get laid – but that was because he made it funny. Charlie Kaufman can’t do it because he’s not funny, he’s just pathetic. And so is the storyline, the script and the desperate, cringy turn the film takes near the end (the Orleans woman snorting 4 fat lines of green cocaine and starring in Internet porn? What?!! The worst type of Deus ex Machina and the joke is on us) in a bizarre attempt to save this lazy turkey from the butcher’s table where it belongs. The end is almost too much to bear, with the kind of cheesy, schmaltzy, predictable mawkishness that only fans of Independence Day and followers of Oprah will enjoy. If this film couldn’t tag itself to Being John Malkovich, it would never have left the bottom of the alligator pit where it belongs. Shame on a talented team.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  41. Jao
    Feb 26, 2005
    8
    First off, I really despise Nicholas Cage, truly one of the most annoying actors around today. Right up there with Travolta and Hartnett. If Cage can't ruin this movie, it must be pretty good. Great storyline, good characters and a creative style of telling a very original story. Chris Cooper is astounding in another award worthy performance and Meryl Streep once again shows why she is still in this business. Spike Jonze at his best here, really, what can't this guy do? I would have given Adaptation a 10 if there was a different lead actor. I can only take so much Cage and when theres two in the same movie somethings wrong. Either way it deserves a watch.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  42. BigSally
    Mar 9, 2005
    7
    This is a movie that you will love if you ever considered writing a screenplay.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  43. EvinC
    Aug 11, 2009
    8
    The movie came in strong in the beginning and middle. But as it ended, the trick of the film just became too much a part of the film. Right when the film took the "disaster Hollywood" i understood what Kaufman was doing already. But it went on only for so long.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  44. Richard
    Dec 19, 2002
    8
    Welcome back, Nicolas Cage, almost all is forgiven. A tremendous performance by a man I thought had completely lost his common sense. Meryl Streep is splendid in an understated fashion and Cooper is magnificent. Excellent script, even if it gets way out of control by the end, and at least inspires serious thought about desire and art.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  45. SandyC.
    Dec 24, 2002
    6
    The best thing you can say about this movie is that it's not predictable. The worst thing you can say is that it's absurd in a boring way. Its well-acted though, Cage gives an Oscar-worthy performance.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  46. RubyFunkhouser
    Dec 24, 2002
    10
    Nicholas has greatly extended his genius talents - the most magnificient of his career. The rest of the cast and writers were superb.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  47. BlancoA.
    Dec 4, 2002
    9
    Thank God people like Charlie (and Donald) Kaufman are out there writing. With so much brain-dead crap coming out of Hollywood every day, it's great to know that someone is bringing to the table some creativity, vision, and a wilingness to take risks. Visionaries like Lynch and creative teams like the Coen brothers & the Jonze/Kaufman teams need to inspire young movie-makers out there to make bold, original, and rule-breaking films. Adaptation is hilarious. Cage is terrific, and I'm especially proud of Kaufman for integrating the Uroboros into his script. Don't expect "Malkovich II: The Next Portal" but definitely see it. It's clearly one of the best films of 2002.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  48. Oscarwatcher
    Dec 4, 2002
    10
    One of the best films of the year. Absolutely brilliant.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  49. J.Mulero
    Dec 6, 2002
    10
    Find another script this original. I dare you.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  50. CindyS.
    Oct 11, 2003
    10
    My new all-time favorite. i loved all the self-referential "loops." i have never been so totally absorbed on all levels by a movie. it kept me thinking, but not at the price of feeling or entertainment. absolutely f...ing wonderful!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  51. BridgetteC.
    Jan 11, 2003
    9
    I will have to say that this is the best movie i've seen in a long time.... though i found the end not quite in keeping with the rest of the film.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  52. BillB.
    Dec 12, 2003
    0
    As someone else on this site said about this movie: "Absolutely awful. Characters are not likable, and the movie is not enjoyable to watch. It's just plain not entertaining or compelling in any way and isn't that what watching a movie are supposed to be about." I can't express this any better. It is a very boring movie, unfortunately.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  53. YoonMinC.
    Dec 23, 2003
    8
    I'm not a Spike Jonze fan. Like Coen Brothers at their flimsiest, Jonze is cleverness without soul. Being John Malkovich was one of the most brilliant films in the past 10 yrs but it was about nothing. Anything wrong with that? Perhaps not, but if making a clever Chinesebox is all that matters, why spend millions on a movie? Why not just create mental puzzles for a game book? Besides, Being John Malkovich pretended to have something to say about celebrity, ego, the meaning of soul and identity without having anything to say. Jonze is no Bunuel. Still, Being John Malkovich was fast and funny. Now, Adaptations. This is another specimen of the jerkoff school of American filmmaking, which mopes about with equal amounts of self-pity and self-mockery, and a winking you-know-it-and-I-know-it aloofness. It's simultaneously so sensitive & perceptive about human behavior and so mockingly irreverent and subversive. If Adaptation was the first in this line of mass-manufactured artfilms, that could be justification enough. However, it's tiresome, really tiresome at this date. It's the sort of film that novice arthouse fans can embrace as radical and which Godardians can patronize as doing what the holy master has already done 20 yrs ago. The point of the movie goes like this. Life adapts into book. Book adapts into screenplay which adapts into movie. And, along this artistic evolutionary process there are external forces that mutate, for good and bad, the thread of the original idea. Now, what makes the movie so cloyingly clever is that the movie is the story of this process as well as the product of this process. Yes, one of those paradoxical tricks of perception you find in game books. It's cute and clever and reasonably fun but you won't learn anything of value about the real artistic process, real artists, real people, real anything in this movie. This is Last Year at Marienbad as Pee Wee's Playhouse. However, it's watchable because cleverness, though not the greatest virtue, is still a virtue--and not an easy one--, and especially missing in our big dumb blockbuster culture. Also, Nicolas Cage turns in two remarkable performances as twin brothers(or are they really just one?). The end of the movie grows surreal, with us not knowing whether Streep's murderous rampage is real life or the product of the screenplay adaptation. It's also interesting because it dissolves the dichotomy between life and art. We usually think of Art film vs the Hollywood movie, but as the realistic story slowly and almost convincingly transforms into a Hollywood movie scenario with guns, car chases, attacking alligators, and whatnot, it does make us wonder... maybe life(and the closely linked counterpart, art) is too complex for labels, high or low. It's also to be lauded for being one of the few movies where the relational development between people of profoundly different socio-economic backgrounds was handled with balance and empathy. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  54. MonkeyP.
    Mar 24, 2003
    10
    A sublime piece of utter genius from all involved. Let's not forget Spike Jonze plus the special effects that you completely forget are effects. Unless Nic Cage really does have a twin. Bloody marvellous.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  55. BuddyT.
    May 26, 2003
    0
    Hmmm..........one word. WEIRD!!. Don't bother downloading this movie ooops I mean renting It.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  56. MattR.
    Aug 14, 2003
    9
    A great, intelligent film. Not surprisingly, the low scores tend to be from passive filmgoers who don't seem --or can't-- appreciate the self-reflexive, cynical and satirical angle the movie employs. If you want to sit back and watch car-chases, go elsewhere. As to those who complain about cliches-- that's one of the goals of the film, to examine conventions and cliches.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  57. Jeremy
    Sep 29, 2003
    10
    The best film of 2002, and I don't say this lightly, one of the best scripts ever written.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  58. SunnyS.
    Mar 28, 2004
    10
    Beautiful film. The character of Charlie mimics me in almost everyway which I find spooky (and upsetting). I would have given the film a 9 or 8 otherwise. Interestingly unique plot with a good twist at the end.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  59. ChuckP.
    May 15, 2004
    0
    Crap, pure crap. possibly the most overrated movie in the history of film. don't waste your time watching this piece of GARBAGE.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  60. raVen
    Aug 27, 2004
    10
    Sometimes movies... ...often the best movies... ....betray our trust as consumers, ceasing to be escape from Life as promised, and instead become merely an extension of it. Adaptation's greatest achievement and most devastating failure is that it is true. It's true even when it's wrong, and it leaves me hoping that I, in some measure, can do the same.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  61. MikeG.
    Dec 7, 2005
    3
    This movie makes me imagine a middle school writing class. The students are asked to write about their favorite vacation ever. The best student in the class, instead of writing about his favorite vacation ever, writes a long story about trying to write a story about a book about an exciting vacation. This was the problem with Adaptation. It's cute, it's sometimes funny, it's sometimes fun, but it spends so much time winking and nodding at the viewer that it just gets to be annoying. The movie insists that we're in on the joke so many times that the joke gets tired really, really fast. It's too bad, too, because I enjoyed Cooper, Streep and the always stellar Brian Cox (hope he wins an Oscar one day). But, as a movie, this failed in a big, big way.… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  62. SusieK.
    Jan 24, 2007
    0
    I tried to like this film, but I couldn't even finish it. My best friend loved it. I reckon it depends upon your taste. I found it very boring, I couldn't sympathize or care about any of the characters, and, in trying too hard to be artsy, it ends up being irritating and too dang long (I am not sure how much of it I saw, but my guess is about 2/3 to 3/4 before I got really fed up and quit watching).… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  63. BrianM
    Sep 17, 2009
    9
    Great Movie...Chris Cooper is Great!!
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  64. P.L.
    Dec 21, 2002
    8
    Thought provoking and at times humerous/amusing but the plot development weakened near the end. The dialogue was excellent and the screenplay should get an Oscar nomination. Fine supporting roles by Chris Cooper and Brian Cox.
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  65. MarcK.
    Dec 23, 2002
    6
    Until the last 20 minutes or so of this film, I would have defintely recommended it. But the last 20 minutes were absurd...and yes, I understood the reason for this horrible choice based on an earlier scene in the film with the screenwriting expert. I thought "About Schmidt" wasn't good UNTIL the last 20 minutes, so this film is the exact opposite. I will say that this is one of Cage's best performances, if not his very best one.… Expand
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  66. RyanM.
    Dec 28, 2002
    10
    Definitely not something to be expected, it's an anti-average anti-social, anti-formula screenplay that's the most clever device of the year.
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  67. MichaelC.
    Nov 26, 2003
    2
    To be honest, the feelings on this movie seemed to be mixed among the masses. I've talked to just as many people who loved it as I have who hated it. In all fairness, it is a very original idea for a movie. But this is not enough to overcome the one major problem with this movie: BORING! BORING! BORING! ! F....ING BORING!!!!! There...I said it.
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  68. BrandonS
    Nov 27, 2005
    10
    Really makes you think--one of my favorite movies. Exceptional acting and story to go with it.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  69. Schmit93
    Jan 13, 2011
    10
    Charlie Kaufman once again creates a masterful film. One of my top 10 favorites of all time. Nic Cage shows that he is a talented actor if he's given a great script. I love how Charlie and Donald look and sound, yet we can tell one from another. The movie makes Donald feel so real that I actually almost teared up at the end. I love some of the irony the movie has. I saw a review on this page slamming it for it's "Top 40 ending" what he or she failed to see was that's part of the irony. A must see, but only for those who are willing to use some of their brain instead of just dosing out and not paying attention… Expand
  70. Halfwelshman
    Mar 5, 2012
    7
    Adaptation is further proof that no director does off-the-wall filmmaking like Spike Jonze, and no writer plays with the concept of reality quite as well as Charlie Kaufman. Adaptation is an extremely appropriate title for the film, which is an adaptation of and adaptation of an adaptation (the film follows a fictionalised Kaufman struggling to adapt a book into a screenplay, and he ends up writing himself trying to adapt the book into his film - that's three levels of reality). Kaufman's writing, as per usual, is exceptionally clever, funny, and unconventional. He has a lot to say about being a writer, the film industry in general and social ineptitude. He bravely creates an exaggerated version of himself, a depressed, self-hating and bordering on paranoid personality, played brilliantly by Nicolas Cage, to act as narrator and ground the film's undeniably odd story in some semblance of reality. The other characters in the film, all weird and wonderfully warped versions of real people, add a little something extra to the film, whether it be Meryl Streep's passionate and driven, but quite tragic journalist Susan Orlean, or Chris Cooper's slightly batty but compelling activist and orchid hunter John Laroche or Brian Cox's universally respected but rather arrogant screenwriting lecturer Robert McKee. I also found the introduction of Charlie Kaufman's fictional twin brother Donald (Cage again) an interesting concept - it's almost as though Kaufman has a love-hate relationship with himself, and differing aspects of his personality, with each of the brothers representing particular personality traits. The "Charlie" part of himself is thoughtful, intellectual, and occasionally brilliant, but at the same time is cripplingly shy and socially awkward. The "Donald" part of himself is charming, confident and interesting, but his writing is uninspired, mainstream drudgery. The film could be commenting on Kaufman's desire to be better known and more loved, but also being unwilling to dumb down his writing to achieve this. Adaptation is an extremely effective film when talking about filmmaking, writing, inspiration and identity, but sometimes I felt Kaufman took these concepts a little too far. The film's finale, especially, is quite jarring when compared to the rest of the film - it seems like Kaufman and Jonze have given up the originality and consistent tone of their film at this point in favour of a final act from a run-of-the-mill thriller. This portion of the film is turgid, melodramatic and feels simply wrong, threatening to overwhelm the brilliant subtlety and quiet confidence of the of the first hour and twenty minutes or so. I'm also not sure whether Charlie's hallucination sequences were really necessary to demonstrate his sleep-deprived, uninspired state of mind either. Even with its hugely disappointing conclusion and minor artistic niggles, Adaptation is an insightful, original and funny reality-distorting piece of cinema from two of the greatest talents working in the film industry today. Being John Malkovich undeniably pulled off the same ideas more effectively, but Adaptation still has a lot to say, especially when taken as a companion piece to the aforementioned masterpiece.… Expand
  71. AwesomeReviewer
    May 17, 2012
    9
    “Adaptation” at its core is a movie about adapting (figure that). Life may be tough at times, but we have to learn to move on and just like nature change to the situation at hand. It’s also about being confident and persevering even when your mind is constantly telling you “no” or “you can’t.” However, within its deep message the film is also funny, thrilling, and filled with a lot of wit and charm. The film is directed fairly well. Two stories are being told and both are given equal attention and the way the meet up is interesting and intense. The way the film cuts back and forth between two time periods feels natural and won’t confuse the audience even if their attention slips away, which shouldn’t occur. While directing is good, the film is carried by its magnificently intelligent script. The film is essentially an exaggerated story of the actual screen writer of the film, who was having difficulty adapting a book. He didn’t want to make a cliched film with drug, sex, or violence, but instead something fresh and new. The writer also sets up other rules for himself to not use, like split-personalities are cliched as well as multiple genres. However, each and every rule is humorously and intelligently broken to tell a fun and engaging story. It pokes fun at all of these cliches yet falls for them. The writing is just superb. Acting is incredible with fun, interesting, and lovable characters. Nicolas Cage has a double role playing both Charlie and Donald Kaufman.Charlie is a depressed fat pessimist and Donald is a confident optimist. They both play off the multipe personality cliche that the writng pokes fun at and Nicolas Cage does a wonderful job portraying both characters. From the way he presents each character to the way they talk, he captures their essence. Meryl Streep is good as alsways, but she only truly stands out in the third act. And Chris Cooper is just fantastic. He plays a hick that has been through a lot and is also quit intelligent. His performance is touching and he provides most of the humor. Overall “Adaptation” is an incredible film with magnificent writing and good direction. The film pokes fun at itself and other cliches in films in general, but at the same time it doesn’t degrade anything or anyone. The script is smart and treats its audience as so. I love how the fim weaves into other genres as it progresses, it doesn’t seem out of place or sudden, but fairly natural. I give it a very strong 4.5/5, Intelligent script supported by strong direction and even stronger cast. “Fetch Status”… Expand
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 40 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 40
  3. Negative: 2 out of 40
  1. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    90
    A highly enjoyable failure, a quandary that can't resolve itself.
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  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    100
    In a larger sense, Adaptation is a movie about the simple act of enjoying life -- of really embracing it -- without constantly worrying about what others think.
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  3. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    70
    This is like a Ferris wheel--the ride's enjoyable but you've gone nowhere once it's over.
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