at one point in the orchid thief, ms. orlean asks a park ranger named tony why he thinks people find orchids so seductive. his answer matches both the nonchalance and the insight of this remarkable, impossible film: "oh, mystery, beauty, unknowability, i suppose. besides, i think the real reason is that life has no meaning. i mean, no obvious meaning. you wake up, you go to work, you do stuff. i think everybody's always looking for something a little unusual that can preoccupy them and help pass the time."



for susan orlean (the character), the flower is literally and figuratively a drug. she desires desire itself. in a world of convenience and leisure, can one want something so thoroughly as to make oneself vulnerable to it? this is a major modern conundrum. but the addict will give you a quick answer.