Adaptation (2002)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:193
Fresh:175
Rotten:18
Average Rating:8.1/10
Consensus: Dizzyingly original, the loopy, multi-layered Adaptation is both funny and thought-provoking.
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Following up their acclaimed debut, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze are back to metaphysical moviemaking with ADAPTATION. The film stars Nicolas Cage as... [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Cara Seymour
Director: Spike Jonze
Reviews for Adaptation
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Adaptation would all be insufferably clever-clever were its motivation not so genuine. Instead it is experimental, funny, with a tightly-repressed anger and a desire to dig out truth rather than take refuge in the usual artifice. Full Review |
||
|
|
For two-thirds of its running time the film is close to genius. But there's still no third act. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
Cage gives one of the best performances of his recent career as the Kaufmans. He's a natural in this role, especially when that great horse face breaks into an ingratiating grin... Full Review |
||
|
4/4 |
Gets thoughts and sentences rushing down the hallways of the mind, screaming at each other to get past. Full Review |
||
|
4/5 |
A brilliantly acted, extremely clever (perhaps too clever), multi-layered film that will repay several viewings. Full Review |
||
|
5/5 |
Charlie Kaufman is a genius. Full Review |
||
|
4.5/5 |
Like the last Jonze-Kaufman collaboration, this film is a mind-spinning and often hilarious examination of identity and connection, playing with the whole idea of cinema in such a way that it keeps us delightfully off balance. Full Review |
||
|
Click to read the article Full Review |
|||
|
3/5 |
Some parts of the film are classic subversions of Hollywood convention that are intriguing by themselves but don’t quite gel as a whole. Full Review |
||
|
5/5 |
It will confound some and inspire others to riff endlessly on its mysteries. Full Review |
||
|
4/4 |
It's almost mind-numbing to think how Mr. Kaufman could possibly follow-up this gem. I'm just glad I don't have to write it, but I'd be happy to watch what he goes through to create it. Full Review |
||
|
4/5 |
Adaptation could very well be one of the best films of the year -- it truly is a roller coaster ride of pioneering pandemonium, and shouldn’t be missed. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
Really, did we need Kaufman to point out how boneheaded Hollywood can be? And does he do all that much better when, ultimately, he looks to mainstream conventions for the means to put the finishing touches on his tale? Full Review |
||
|
A |
Kaufman once again pens a brilliant mind bender chock full of originality.
|
||
|
|
Kaufman is nothing if not brilliant... Full Review |
||
|
B |
[Adaptation suggests] that there is something 'not of this earth' about humanity, that we are meant for higher, better things than mere adaptation. Full Review |
||
|
3.5/4 |
If you liked the surreal Being John Malkovich...then you won't want to miss this collaboration. Full Review |
||
|
Click to read the article Full Review |
|||
|
4/4 |
Thanks a lot, Charlie Kaufman. Thanks to you, I and millions of others can no longer use writer's block as a valid excuse for the sh*ttiness of our writing. Full Review |
||
|
3.5/4 |
Blurring fact and fiction more than any film in recent memory, Adaptation is a brilliantly bizarre and completely unique experience. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for Adaptation
August 09, 2006:
Critical Consensus: A Brave New "World," A "Step" Down, And No Screenings for "Pulse" and "Zoom"
This week at the movies, we've got Oliver Stone paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11 ("World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage); two youngsters trying to start a... More...
January 09, 2006:
Jonze to Direct Some "Wild Things" for WB
Now here's a project that I can't wait to see happen! According to Variety, Warner Bros. has hired Spike Jonze ("Adaptation.") to direct a live-action (and inevitably... More...
December 02, 2005:
Universal Plans to "Breach" a New FBI Thriller
ComingSoon.net shares a press release from Universal Pictures, the studio behind the upcoming spy thriller "Breach," which will star Chris Cooper, Laura Linney, and... More...
September 15, 2005:
Critical Consensus: Critics Thank "Heaven," But Don't Praise The "Lord"
This week at the movies brings us a supernatural romance ("Just Like Heaven"), a jaded arms dealer ("Lord of War") and two experiments in terror... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds