Adaptation · written by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman · 2002

Charlie excitedly describes his revised opening while Donald pitches a more elaborate thriller chase.

Scene 128 of 202 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Kaufman
Donald

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:07 into a 1:57 film

The story so farBefore scene 128

Unable to find a conventional story in The Orchid Thief, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman turns his own crisis into an increasingly self-referential adaptation.

Scenes 1–9
Charlie inhabits an isolated, self-condemning world while Orlean’s book supplies a distant model of obsession.
Scenes 10–88
Charlie wants to write honestly and make flowers matter, while also longing to be desired and understood.
Scenes 89–105
He leaves his familiar writing room and goes to Florida to search for the story firsthand.
Scenes 106–126
The swamp is ordinary, Orlean’s research fails, and Charlie experiments with increasingly personal versions of the book.
Just before
Scene 125
Donald describes his image system as Charlie returns from Florida.
Scene 126
Charlie tears down McKee’s commandments, while Donald asks about the Swamp Ape and pitches a song.
Scene 127
Charlie fantasizes about Orlean, who tells him to focus on what he cares about, and awakens with a new direction.
Scene 128
This scene

128INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

Kaufman paces and talks animatedly into his mini-recorder.

KAUFMAN

We see Susan Orlean, delicate, fragile,

beautiful, haunted by loneliness, typing

at her desk. She looks at the camera and

talks to us: "John Laroche is a tall guy,

skinny as a stick, pale-eyed, slouch-

shouldered..."

Donald enters in his underwear, pours coffee.

DONALD

Morning.

KAUFMAN

Hey, hey.

DONALD

You seem chipper.

KAUFMAN

I'm good. I have some new ideas.

DONALD

Cool. Me too. I'm putting in a chase

sequence now. The killer flees on

horseback with the girl. The cop is

after them on a motorcycle. It's like a

battle between motors and horses.

KAUFMAN

They're all still one person, right?

DONALD

Yeah, hey, that's the big pay-off.

KAUFMAN

(nice)

Well, it sounds exciting.

DONALD

Thanks, man. Thanks.