I’ve never fully connected with Charlie Kaufman’s work, so it’s no surprise that Adaptation (2002) leaves me feeling indifferent. It’s arguably the most Kaufman-centric film ever made, literally placing him at the center of his own story, with Nicolas Cage delivering a fantastic dual performance as both Kaufman and his fictional twin brother, Donald. The supporting cast—including Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper—is strong, but if you’re not particularly invested in Kaufman’s neurotic, self-reflective storytelling, Adaptation can feel more like an intellectual exercise than a satisfying narrative.
The movie is almost impossible to critique without getting lost in its metatextual layers. Kaufman essentially writes himself into a corner, creating a screenplay about his struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s bestselling book The Orchid Thief, while also critiquing his own creative tendencies in real time. He acknowledges his writing’s self-indulgence, its narrative dead-ends, and its frequent resistance to convention, all while embracing those very qualities. If you love meta storytelling, Adaptation is a must-watch. It’s bold, wildly original, and structurally unlike anything else. But for me, it often feels too wrapped up in its own cleverness, keeping me at an emotional distance for most of the runtime.
The added twist is that while Kaufman wrote the screenplay, Spike Jonze is the one actually adapting it into a film. So it becomes a movie where Jonze is directing Kaufman’s script, about Kaufman struggling to write a script, based on a book that isn’t even traditionally narrative. Jonze’s direction is what I find most compelling—his dreamlike, hazy aesthetic helps ground Adaptation’s chaotic storytelling, making it surprisingly easy to follow despite its absurd premise.
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But while I admire Adaptation’s ambition, I don’t find Kaufman’s self-referential storytelling as engaging as he seems to think it is. His best work, like Anomalisa, resonates because it taps into universal emotions, while Adaptation often feels like a writer getting lost in his own head. The tricks and structural devices become the focus rather than the emotions behind them, and at a certain point, it feels like Kaufman is patting himself on the back for his own creative struggles.
That being said, Nicolas Cage is phenomenal, seamlessly embodying both Charlie and Donald Kaufman with distinct personalities and mannerisms. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper are solid, though their subplot—particularly Orlean’s fascination with John Laroche (Cooper)—isn’t all that compelling until the third act, when their paths collide with Kaufman’s in increasingly surreal ways.
Maybe Adaptation rewards multiple viewings, but on this watch, I found it less interesting than I expected. It’s undeniably one of the most metatextual films ever made, but it also feels like Kaufman disappearing into his own self-obsession. He wrote a movie entirely about himself, and I’m still not sure whether to applaud him for it or roll my eyes.
Rating: 6/10
Adaptation (2002)
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton
- Director: Spike Jonze
- Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
- Runtime: 115 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: December 6, 2002
More Reviews for Movies Starring Nicolas Cage
Cinephile Corner has reviewed the following movies starring Nicolas Cage:
- Wild at Heart (1990)
- Adaptation (2002)
- The Old Way (2023)
- Renfield (2023)
- Longlegs (2024)