I'm done with fish.

In terms of authorial voice, Kaufman differs so greatly from Mathison and Wilder that it almost feels insulting to the latter two writers to compare them with Kaufman. Kaufman takes a unique command of his screenplay, almost as if we are being allowed to experience his story. At times with Kaufman, I forget I'm not reading prose. Some of his description and action offer incredibly profound insight into the thematic elements of the story as well as into the characters themselves. Adaptation is so different than any other type of screenplay that to compare it to A Boy's Life and The Apartment in terms of authorial voice means that one must try to ignore the subject of the screenplay. Kaufman wrote a story about his attempt to adapt a book that simply cannot be adapted. (I say this because I've read The Orchid Thief)

As for the technical aspects of the differences, Kaufman specifically uses the beat comment not as a directional mandate, but rather by necessity for the characters. The instances of their use throughout the screenplay come at times where awkwardness or angst is needed to be expressed to the audience through the characters' personality. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Kaufman constantly talks about how he doesn't write to move the plot along as Mckee would suggest, instead he says that, the characters themselves are responsible for bringing about an end. Do you see this as readily observable in Adaptation?

2. In The Orchid Thief, Orlean writes that change is not a choice, rather it just happens. Did Charlie Kaufman effectively translate this sentiment into his screenplay or did it get lost among the sex, guns, car chases and characters learning profound life lessons at the end?