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I agree with many of the above statements. I think it is very difficult to see something that we so clearly envision one way be adapted into the vision of another. Taking a novel and making it into a film is all about interpretation. And if the director or screenwriter sees the ultimate vision/outcome in a way that you are personally not used to, the acceptance of that film can be challenging. Of course, no director who is adapting a movie from a novel is going to satisfy everyone...they first have to figure out what way the novel will best translate into a movie, and how to not overwhelm the audience, especially those who are unfamiliar with the story. And while this translation of the movie could mean that certain aspects of the storyline are lost, sometimes it is a necessary cut for the sake of clarity in the movie, along with trying to keep it at a reasonable movie time. People keep bringing up Harry Potter, and I also know that many people were not happy with the films because they were not true to the books. However, if one thinks about it, if the makers of the movie were to incorporate every scene from the book into the film, we would be sitting there for five hours or more. That is also why the the final installation of the film franchise is done in two parts. Two separate movies because they want to include everything. Yet even with this, the movies (or at least the released first part) is very fast paced and would be hard for someone who has never read the books to understand. And although I have never read "The Orchid Thief," based on what I learned from "Adaptation," it would not make a good feature length film without embellishing it, which is what the film makers did. The film industry and the novel industry are two completely different forms of media, and often time, changes have to be made in order to make a cohesive film.