Favorite movies about making movies?

Published March 21, 2011 | By Bman

Question by David (Cinéma): Favorite movies about making movies?
People love movies. But it’s rare they love a movie about making movies. Films set within the industry and centered on the tortured creative process often prove to be too “inside baseball” for mainstream acceptance, but the conceit has produced several great films. Your favorites?

I would say Spike Jonze’s Adaptation. The idea is so brilliant. Rather than just adapting Susan Orlean’s best seller The Orchid Thief, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) wrote a film in he, Kaufman, is the main character (Nicolas Cage at his best) and is struggling to adapt The Orchid Thief. So mind-blowing and hilarious. The film is a perfect representation of how challenging, difficult, and, at times, transcendent the writing process can be. Then there’s the spot-on performances delivered by Meryl Streep and Oscar winner Chris Cooper, not to mention Jonze’s near unrivaled visual eye. A masterpiece.

Runners-up include Robert Altman’s The Player, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (they’re still movies…), and, of course, Federico Fellini’s 8½.

I chose not to include movies where the protagonist is in the business, but the plot isn’t truly related to their craft (examples: Lost in Translation, Funny People).
Tropic Thunder definitely does. Which co-stars Steve Coogan. Which reminds me of the amazing Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story.