That would be John Edward Laroche, the main character in Susan Orlean's book The Orchid Thief, set in and around the Fakahatchee Preserve. Laroche was/is a highly idiosyncratic individual both on the printed page and in the subsequent film adaptation, Adaptation. His fevered pursuit of Ghost Orchids in the Fakahatchee along with his plan to clone thousands of them for fame and fortune is a rousing tale of adventure and intrigue set in southern Florida. Laroche was played by Chris Cooper in the highly-altered Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman film. Nic Cage was along for the ride as well, adding his own particular twist to the weirdness factor of the movie.
TSG recommends the book, but the film is, shall we say, a whole different animal.
2 comments:
I readily admit to being ignorant of anything you related in your posting. The story sounds a bit like an Island of Dr. Moreau thing, staring an orchid as the potential manmade abomination instead of more animated possibilities.
That 'hopper featuring the cool racing team livery is awesome.
Well, as mentioned in the OP, I do highly recommend The Orchid Thief, especially the audiobook (if you're in to that particular format).
Now, the movie Adaptation...well, while it was "based on" the book and has some of the same characters, it more like an episode of The Twilight Zone. I would put in the same category as "Being John Malkovich", another weird Charlie Kaufman story. Roger Ebert thought it was great, and it's on Amazon Prime, so if you in the mood for something off the wall, give it a shot.
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