10 Great Movies About Hollywood

(((HEADING CHANGE: "Adaptation (2002)" ))))

Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation is just as bizarre, meta and hysterically weird as the pair's previous picture, Being John Malkovich.

Starring Nic Cage as Kaufman, portrayed in the film as deeply cynical and socially awkward, Adaptation follows the writer's attempt to adapt a book by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). The book details the work of John Laroche (Chris Cooper), who has found a way to clone rare and beautiful orchids.

Suffering from writers' block and an inability to make Laroche's life a movie, Kaufman must also deal with his pretentious (and fictional) twin brother Donald.

A constantly funny, intelligent and insightful look at the life and work of a Hollywood screenwriter, Adaptation boasts Cage's best-ever performance and enough star power from co-stars Streep, Cooper, and Tilda Swinton to make the whole maniacal story deeply affecting and its many plot twists even more amazing to watch.

Like Jonze-Kaufman's previous vehicle, it's not a film for everybody, but it's originality and Hollywood satire makes it a daring but successful masterpiece.