Cage's Character Very Cagey, Indeed

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday December 24, 2002 12:00 PM EST

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The bizarre new movie comedy "Adaptation" delivers two Nicolas Cages for the price of one.

In it, the "Leaving Las Vegas" Oscar winner, 38, plays real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, who, in fact, happened to write "Adaptation," although the real Kaufman is said to look nothing like the pudgy, balding character Cage delivers to the screen.

The leading man also plays Donald Kaufman in the movie. Donald is an identical twin of Charlie's, though perhaps less pudgy and certainly less neurotic -- and far less introspective a screenwriter. That makes him a commercial screenwriter.

Anyway, there is no real Donald Kaufman. Or is there?

As the Hollywood Reporter cites, in the credits for "Adaptation," "Donald Kaufman shares screenwriting credit with the much-better-known Charlie, whose solo credits include 1999's 'Being John Malkovich.'"

Furthermore, reports the trade paper, the fictitious Donald is becoming the recipient of several of the honors currently being showered upon Charlie.

"Both the New York Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics awarded their best screenplay honors to Charlie and Donald," says the Reporter. "And the Hollywood Foreign Press Association chimed in with a best screenwriting nomination for the two."

Asked for Donald's reaction to his Globe nomination, Charlie Kaufman, 44, told the Hollywood Reporter, "I haven't spoken to him today."

The paper goes on to say that only the National Board of Review "chose to risk triggering a sibling rivalry" by singularly naming Charlie as best screenwriter.

We'll see what the Oscar people do.