The Adaptable Mr. Jonze

Spike Jonze

Words: Sandy Hunter
Photo: Ben Kaller

 Enter the Spike Jonze videography...
 The Crew of Adaptation...

Adaptation locked picture in August 2002 after an epic, year-long edit. Indeed, the edit amounted in many ways to a complete restructuring of the film. "The script is very non-linear and many of the scenes could and did go anywhere," says Landay. "We almost recreated the screenwriting process in the edit room, and as a result we had Charlie incredibly involved in editing. It was still being written as it was being cut."

Since then, Jonze found time to travel to Japan to be with his wife in Tokyo directing her latest feature, Lost in Translation. He also squeezed in a couple of short form projects: a strikingly sad Ikea commercial, "Red Lamp," and Björk's latest video, "In Our Hands." Not one for idle time, Jonze also managed to work as a producer on Jackass (both the MTV series and the feature) and Human Nature.

Describing his work as a producer, Jonze says, "I try to be as helpful in whatever way I can be to the dynamic that is already there. With Human Nature, it was really about Michel [Gondry] and Charlie [Kaufman] and the movie they wanted to make. With Jackass, again, it's sort of whatever I can do, trying to come up with ideas or sometimes, when I have time, I'll go out and shoot stuff and be one of the camera operators. And as far as the three of us [Jackass co-conspirators Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine and Jonze] are concerned, I have more experience in terms of the business side so I can help on that."

While Jonze is far from being a wizened elder, his career has spanned time enough to influence the next generation of directors. For his part, Jonze is a fan of Garth Jennings of Hammer & Tongs, so much so that he asked Jennings to assist during the London sessions that wound up casting Brian Cox as the screenwriting guru, Robert McKee, for Adaptation. The two directors met while Jonze was in London showing Being John Malkovich. "After I showed him The Pool Cleaner [Jenning's ingenious farce about Jon Bon Jovi's personal pool cleaner), he realized I was quite happy to make a fool of myself," remarks Jennings. Soon enough, actors from Cox to Kenneth Branagh were in Hammer & Tongs' Chinatown offices reading for Adaptation. "Everyone wants to work with Spike," says Jennings. "They all loved Being John Malkovich and they loved this script. It's full of parts actors want to play. Even the biggest names, who wouldn't normally read, were quite happy to. Spike immediately makes it all comfortable and has a way of getting what he wants without... well, I can't imagine him raising his voice. You just want to help him."

So, the mild-mannered Jonze successfully stands with feet planted in the divergent realms of genre-defying music videos and, increasingly, the most artistic and genuinely different films being produced by Hollywood. He and a new school of directors honed their craft directing short form and transferred their exacting attention to every detail of every frame the format demands to their features. The freedom afforded by features is a creative Promised Land for these filmmakers, while short form projects offer a chance to explore new techniques and taste the instant gratification missing from the Herculean task of finishing a feature.

Factor in a wild imagination and a true understanding of storytelling, and say hello to Mr. Jonze.