It features an ensemble cast led by Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper, with Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston and Maggie Gyllenhaal in supporting roles.

It culminates in completely invented elements, including versions of Orlean and Laroche three years after the events of The Orchid Thief.

Adaptation received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, humor, and the performances of Cage, Cooper and Streep.

[3] Self-loathing screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is hired to write the screenplay adaptation of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief.

Charlie, who rejects formulaic scriptwriting, wants to ensure that his script is a faithful adaptation of The Orchid Thief but comes to feel that the book does not have a usable narrative and is impossible to turn into a film, which leaves him with a serious case of writer's block.

Already well past his deadline with Columbia Pictures and despairing of writing his script with self-reference, Charlie travels to New York City to discuss the screenplay with Orlean directly.

Too shy and socially awkward to speak with her upon arriving at her office and after he received the surprising news that Donald's spec script for a clichéd psychological thriller, The 3, is selling for six or seven figures, Charlie resorts to attending McKee's seminar in New York and asks him for advice.

He and Charlie follow Orlean to Florida, where she meets John Laroche, the orchid-stealing protagonist of her book and her secret lover.

Donald is ejected through the windshield and dies moments later, but Charlie is saved by the airbag and runs into the swamp to hide.

[5] Streep expressed strong interest in the role of Susan Orlean before being cast,[4] and took a salary cut in recognition of the film's budget.

Additional cameos include director Curtis Hanson as Orlean's husband, and David O. Russell as a New Yorker journalist.

[11] Fox 2000 purchased the film rights in 1997,[12] eventually selling them to Jonathan Demme, who set the project at Columbia Pictures.

[18] Scott Brake of IGN gave the script a positive review in June 2000,[19] as did Drew McWeeny of Ain't It Cool News in October.

[7] The "evolution" fantasy sequence was created by Digital Domain, while Skywalker Sound handled audio post production services.

[27] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also gave the film a four-star rating, writing, "Screenwriting this smart, inventive, passionate and rip-roaringly funny is a rare species.

So all praise to Charlie Kaufman, working with director Spike Jonze to create the most original and outrageous film comedy since the two first teamed on Being John Malkovich, in 1999.

"[28] Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe wrote, "This is epic, funny, tragic, demanding, strange, original, boldly sincere filmmaking.

"[29] David Ansen of Newsweek wrote that Meryl Streep had not "been this much fun to watch in years",[30] while Mike Clark of USA Today gave a largely negative review, mainly criticizing the ending: "Too smart to ignore but a little too smugly superior to like, this could be a movie that ends up slapping its target audience in the face by shooting itself in the foot.

"[31] Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic wrote, "Adaptation is almost juvenile showing off—daring to make a film that is in search of a script".