Adapting
Susan Orlean is a one of the premiere writers practicing the craft of literary journalism. As a staff writer at the New Yorker magazine since 1992, she's made a career out of writing character profiles of “ordinary” people.
Of course, the ordinary people she profiles are the extraordinary among us. Orlean describes her work: “I'm primarily interested in the tiny master -- a person with a tiny domain over which they are the master. I wrote a piece about a New York City cabdriver who is also the king of the Ashanti tribe in America. After that experience, I realized -- you never know. Any other cab driver I meet, any ordinary person, could be a king.”
In 1994, Susan investigated John Laroche, a plant seller who was arrested for stealing rare and protected orchids from the swamps of Florida. Her investigation was written into the book, “The Orchid Thief”, published in December of 1998, which quickly became a New York Times national bestseller.
The book was optioned to become a Hollywood movie, and screenwriter Charlie Kauffman got the job. However, the book proved difficult for Kauffman to adapt. Kauffman instead wrote a screenplay based on his difficult personal experiences attempting to pen the film. The screenplay, entitled “Adaptation” was produced by Colombia pictures on a budget of 19 million dollars, staring the talents of Meryl Streep and Nicholas Cage as Orlean and Kauffman, respectively.
“Adaptation” earned reams of critical acclaim. Kauffman's writing was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002. The film was nominated for four academy awards, including acting nominations for Streep and Cage. One of the prized golden statues went home with supporting actor Chris Cooper for his portrayal of John Laroche, the orchid thief.
Back in her literary journalist role, Susan Orlean traveled to the island of Maui, and met a group of female teenage surfers living in the small Hawaiian town of Hana. The girls were sponsored by a local surf shop, and Orlean chronicled a few days of their lives leading up to a Quicksilver sponsored island surf contest. Her profile piece was titled “The Surf Girls of Maui.”
The "Surf Girls of Maui" quickly moved, however, when Orlean's piece caught the interest of Hollywood producers. The story was re-written by Lizzy Weiss, a former staff writer for the overly sexual MTV show, “Undressed”. Weiss moved the story to Oahu, where the girls vied to compete in the famous Pipe Masters Contest at Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore. With a budget of 30 million dollars (but lacking the talents of a Meryl Streep or Nick Cage) Universal Pictures produced the 2002 summer blockbuster “Blue Crush”.
The film featured Kate Bosworth, a natural brunette, as a the young blond surfer girl yearning to enter the professional circuit. The film showcased top female professionals, beautiful surfing photography and the photogenic natural scenery of Oahu. The story was as predictable as any other sports competition movie, requiring from the viewer only a modicum of consciousness and a primative understanding of the English language.
In the climactic dramatic scene between Bosworth's charactor and the marvelously attractive mainland tourist with whom she's having sex instead of playing guardian to her orphaned kid sister, the surfer girl bears her soul, saying: “What do I want? Oh my god, I want Penny to quit smoking and go to college. I want, I want to be able to pay the phone, electric and rent in the same month. I want a girl to be on the cover of surf magazine. It would be great if that girl were me, but any girl would do. I want... i mean i wish my mom would come home, and i really really want to win pipe masters tomorrow, thats what i want.”
Despite it's lack of an intricate storyline, keen marketing and the lush beauty of great surfing and great surfing photography prevailed. The film was a success across the US, pulling in 14 million dollars on it's opening weekend, and sitting as the number three spot for the weekend of Aug 18, 2002. (The number one film of the same weekend was "XXX", staring Vin Deisal as an snowboarding secret agent) "Blue Crush" eventually grossed 40 million dollars in domestic box office returns.
Odly, the academy of motion picture arts and sciences overlooked “Blue Crush” in the 2003 Oscar awards nominations. The film was nominated for two MTV movie awards, two Teen Choice awards, and two World Stunt Awards.
Of course, the ordinary people she profiles are the extraordinary among us. Orlean describes her work: “I'm primarily interested in the tiny master -- a person with a tiny domain over which they are the master. I wrote a piece about a New York City cabdriver who is also the king of the Ashanti tribe in America. After that experience, I realized -- you never know. Any other cab driver I meet, any ordinary person, could be a king.”
In 1994, Susan investigated John Laroche, a plant seller who was arrested for stealing rare and protected orchids from the swamps of Florida. Her investigation was written into the book, “The Orchid Thief”, published in December of 1998, which quickly became a New York Times national bestseller.
The book was optioned to become a Hollywood movie, and screenwriter Charlie Kauffman got the job. However, the book proved difficult for Kauffman to adapt. Kauffman instead wrote a screenplay based on his difficult personal experiences attempting to pen the film. The screenplay, entitled “Adaptation” was produced by Colombia pictures on a budget of 19 million dollars, staring the talents of Meryl Streep and Nicholas Cage as Orlean and Kauffman, respectively.
“Adaptation” earned reams of critical acclaim. Kauffman's writing was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002. The film was nominated for four academy awards, including acting nominations for Streep and Cage. One of the prized golden statues went home with supporting actor Chris Cooper for his portrayal of John Laroche, the orchid thief.
Back in her literary journalist role, Susan Orlean traveled to the island of Maui, and met a group of female teenage surfers living in the small Hawaiian town of Hana. The girls were sponsored by a local surf shop, and Orlean chronicled a few days of their lives leading up to a Quicksilver sponsored island surf contest. Her profile piece was titled “The Surf Girls of Maui.”
The "Surf Girls of Maui" quickly moved, however, when Orlean's piece caught the interest of Hollywood producers. The story was re-written by Lizzy Weiss, a former staff writer for the overly sexual MTV show, “Undressed”. Weiss moved the story to Oahu, where the girls vied to compete in the famous Pipe Masters Contest at Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore. With a budget of 30 million dollars (but lacking the talents of a Meryl Streep or Nick Cage) Universal Pictures produced the 2002 summer blockbuster “Blue Crush”.
The film featured Kate Bosworth, a natural brunette, as a the young blond surfer girl yearning to enter the professional circuit. The film showcased top female professionals, beautiful surfing photography and the photogenic natural scenery of Oahu. The story was as predictable as any other sports competition movie, requiring from the viewer only a modicum of consciousness and a primative understanding of the English language.
In the climactic dramatic scene between Bosworth's charactor and the marvelously attractive mainland tourist with whom she's having sex instead of playing guardian to her orphaned kid sister, the surfer girl bears her soul, saying: “What do I want? Oh my god, I want Penny to quit smoking and go to college. I want, I want to be able to pay the phone, electric and rent in the same month. I want a girl to be on the cover of surf magazine. It would be great if that girl were me, but any girl would do. I want... i mean i wish my mom would come home, and i really really want to win pipe masters tomorrow, thats what i want.”
Despite it's lack of an intricate storyline, keen marketing and the lush beauty of great surfing and great surfing photography prevailed. The film was a success across the US, pulling in 14 million dollars on it's opening weekend, and sitting as the number three spot for the weekend of Aug 18, 2002. (The number one film of the same weekend was "XXX", staring Vin Deisal as an snowboarding secret agent) "Blue Crush" eventually grossed 40 million dollars in domestic box office returns.
Odly, the academy of motion picture arts and sciences overlooked “Blue Crush” in the 2003 Oscar awards nominations. The film was nominated for two MTV movie awards, two Teen Choice awards, and two World Stunt Awards.
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