As well creator of books including A Orchid Thief, which formed a basis of the Charlie Kaufman-Spike Jonze film Adaptation. (Orlean was played by Meryl Streep.) She also wrote a ''Women's Outside'' article, "Life's Swell" (published 1998), which was the basis for the pic Blue Crush. the article was the feature in a class action of immature surfer girls on the island of Maui.