Adaptation.

2002 · directed by Spike Jonze

Rating

83/100

Hit

yes

Prestige lists

Criterion

Charlie Kaufman is 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. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

Adaptation. (2002), directed by Spike Jonze, rates 83/100 — a hit. See how its director, cast and crew rate across their careers.

Cast

• Nicolas Cage
• Meryl Streep
• Chris Cooper
• Tilda Swinton
• Jay Tavare
• Litefoot
• Roger Willie
• Jim Beaver
• Cara Seymour
• Doug Jones

Crew

• Lance Acord — Director of Photography
• Eric Zumbrunnen — Editor
• Carter Burwell — Original Music Composer
• Charlie Kaufman — Screenplay

More from Spike Jonze

1. Her (2013) — 91/100 · hit
2. Being John Malkovich (1999) — 86/100 · hit
3. Beastie Boys Story (2020) — 79/100
4. Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2019) — 77/100 · special, not counted
5. I'm Here (2010) — 75/100 · short, not counted
6. Scenes from the Suburbs (2011) — 70/100 · short, not counted

How these numbers work: Methodology