Donald Kaufman quotes from Adaptation. (2002)

Donald Kaufman

You are what you love, not what loves you, I decided that a long time ago.

Donald Kaufman

McKee says we all have to realize we write in a genre, so we must find originality within that genre. Did you know that there hasn't been a new genre since Fellini invented the mockumentary...? My genre's thriller, what's yours?

Donald Kaufman

Sometimes this kind of story turns out to be something more, some glimpse of life that expands like those japanese paper balls you drop in water and they bloom into flowers and the flower is so marvelous you can't believe there was a time all you saw in front of you was a paper ball and a glass of water.

Charlie Kaufman

The script I'm starting, it's about flowers. No one's ever done a movie about flowers before. So there are no guidelines...

Donald Kaufman

What about "Flowers for Algernon"?

Charlie Kaufman

Well, that's not about flowers. And it's not a movie.

Donald Kaufman

Ok, I'm sorry, I never saw it.

Donald Kaufman

Listen, I need a cool way to kill people. Don't worry, for my script.

Charlie Kaufman

I don't know that kind of stuff.

Donald Kaufman

Oh, come on, man, please? You're the genius.

Charlie Kaufman

Here you go. The killer's a literature professor. He cuts off little chunks from his victims' bodies until they die. He calls himself "the deconstructionist".

Donald Kaufman

I'm putting in a chase sequence. So the killer flees on horseback with the girl, the cop's after them on a motorcycle and it's like a battle between motors and horses, like technology vs. horse.

Charlie Kaufman

And they're still all one person, right?

Donald Kaufman

I'm pitching my script today.

Charlie Kaufman

Please don't say pitch.