9 Movies That Succeeded By Ignoring The Source Material

9. Adaptation

As one of the better movies to star Nicholas Cage in the leading role, Adaptation is a wild deep-dive into the struggles of a creative talent.

Ironically titled, it moves away from its original inspiration to explore the mind of a struggling screen-writer. The premise is both self-aware and meta in its execution, involving a film screen-writer planning a full on recreation of "The Orchid Thief" by American writer Susan Orlean.

In the process, leading man Charlie Kaufman (played by Cage) finds himself drawn to the same orchid drug in the book and a cycle of hilarious misfortune ensues. The film takes a very different approach from other films using books as a base, embracing its story whole-heartedly and having it show up in real life.

In the book, readers follow attempts to capture a known orchid dealer and the results the drug has on those investigating it. Based on real events in 1994, it's far more serious and straightforward. Initially Orlean herself was shocked at the direction the film took, but eventually warmed to its trappings in meta-cinema.

By taking this intentional direction, Adaptation went on to receive many awards from countless film boards and carved out a unique identity in the process.