Adapting an original source to the screen has been a common use from the very beginnings of cinema. However, there has been no other film that bends the idea of adaptation than the film Adaptation, written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. Based off The New Yorker regular Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book The Orchid Thief, Adaptation is a unique case of cinema and adapted material. The film crosses the boundaries of truth and fiction and meshes the styles of Orlean and Kaufman to create a very intriguing film that will continue to incite debate and discussion on whether the film is an adaptation or an original work.
Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief, a New York Times bestseller, told the true story of John Laroche’s legal battles with the State of Florida and the orchid industry. This historically accurate tale spoke of the many passions that Laroche had obtained for a variety of subjects, then simply brushing it off like it never existed.
From turtles, to mirrors, plants, orchids and finally computers and pornography; John Laroche excelled and mastered all his crafts and would ditch them for another. Orlean originally wrote The Orchid Thief as a one-time article for The New Yorker under the name “Orchid Fever” in 1995. She was approached for the article to be adapted into a novel where she continued her investigations into the theft orchestrated by Laroche and several Seminoles, which would be a landmark legal decision and the possibility of riches for Laroche. She studied in depth the world of orchids, their evolution, their seekers and enthusiasts in order to understand the passion behind one of the most fascinating and evolving plants and why the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in the Everglades was the most fertile ground for these marvelous plants. Orlean describes Laroche as a tall and thin man whose greed was fueled by his understanding of loop-holes and taking advantage of them. Orlean describes Laroche as the “most moral amoral person” she has ever known. While on trial, “Frankly, Your Honor”, Laroche said, “I’m probably the smartest guy I know” (Orlean 6-8).
The structure of The Orchid Thief is primarily chronological with flashbacks throughout time to describe early orchid enthusiasts and legal cases. Sometimes entire chapters are devoted to the orchid species and subspecies or the many people who have encapsulated themselves in this flower. However, every other chapter, Orlean returns to her mid-1990s adventure with John Laroche. This non-fiction book is segmented in order to have the reader slowly understand the passion some orchid botanists have, or just passion in general. We learn of John Laroche’s past loves with many subjects. From turtles, to anthropology, mirrors, fish; each time he losing interest in that particular subject after he masters it. These two aspects allow the book to be able to tell the world that there is such a bombastic creature as John Laroche—as crazy as he is—who fought the system to fight for his belief, his right to take advantage of others through loopholes. Then only wanting to close these loopholes to protect his own business and the Everglades. At the same time, we are given a history and botany lesson on orchids.
Orlean’s approach to The Orchid Thief is a romantic non-fiction book. She goes out of her way,
