Adaptation · written by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman · 2002

Teenage Laroche photographs an orchid with his mother and continues his count toward cataloguing every Florida species.

Scene 55 of 202 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Teenaged Laroche
Mother

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 34 min into a 1:57 film

The story so farBefore scene 55

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.
Scene 10
Valerie and Margaret give Charlie the assignment to adapt The Orchid Thief.
Scene 31
Donald’s rivalry and affection give Charlie a living counterpoint to his isolated view of himself.
Just before
Scene 52
Alice remembers Charlie and teases him about orchids, then withdraws when he invites her to the show.
Scene 53
Orlean types about the variety of orchids and their strange forms.
Scene 54
At the orchid show, Charlie sees women rather than flowers as Orlean describes people’s consuming passion for orchids.
Scene 55
This scene

55EXT. SWAMP - DAY

Teenaged Laroche and his mother tromp through the swamp. He carries a camera on a tripod. They spot a beautiful flower. Laroche is in awe.

TEENAGED LAROCHE

Encyclia tempensis. The butterfly.

Laroche sets up the tripod, focuses on the flower. His mother almost cries at the flower's beauty.

MOTHER

"You will find something more in woods

than in books. Trees and stones will

teach you that which you can never learn

from masters." Saint Bernard said that.

TEENAGED LAROCHE

That's pretty, ma.

MOTHER

Diane would've loved this flower, Johnny.

TEENAGED LAROCHE

Maybe somehow she can see it. Y'know?

MOTHER

(beat)

So... after this one how many, honey?

Laroche snaps the photo, makes a check in his notebook.

TEENAGED LAROCHE

Only one hundred and seventeen more.

MOTHER

And you have to have a photo of every

single type of orchid in Florida?

TEENAGED LAROCHE

I have to, ma. You know that.

She smiles at him, rubs his neck.