Adaptation · written by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman · 2002

Orlean asks Laroche to take her into the swamp, but he says he is still banned.

Scene 88 of 202 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Laroche
Orlean

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 48 min into a 1:57 film

The story so farBefore scene 88

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.
Scene 75
Laroche says adaptation is learning how to survive in the world.
Just before
Scene 85
Laroche buys cigarettes and explains that his ghost-orchid plan was meant to give the Seminoles something extraordinary.
Scene 86
Charlie describes the real case to a Hollywood party guest who keeps trying to turn it into a courtroom thriller.
Scene 87
Charlie claims to Valerie that his screenplay is progressing even as he calls himself a failure.
Scene 88
This scene

88INT. ORLEAN'S APARTMENT - EVENING

Orlean looks at a book called The Native Orchids of Florida. She comes to a photo of the ghost orchid glowing white on the page. Orlean's husband walks by with a cup of coffee, caresses her shoulder. She tenses slightly, smiles up at him apologetically. He smiles back sadly. She returns to the photo. A line of text catches her eye: "Should one be lucky enough to see a flower all else will seem eclipsed." Orlean closes the book, sits there. She dials the phone.

LAROCHE (PHONE VOICE)

Yeah.

ORLEAN

Hello, John? It's Susan.

LAROCHE (PHONE VOICE)

Susie-Q!

ORLEAN

So I was thinking it'd be good for the

article for me to go into the Fakahatchee

to see a ghost. Would you take me?

LAROCHE (PHONE VOICE)

I'd love to, but, hey, I'm banned for the

next six months. Goddamn crucified me.

Get one of them monkey-suited rangers to

take you. 'Course, they wouldn't be able

to locate a ghost, if it climbed off a

tree and shoved itself up their ass.

Hey, put that in the article.