Wonder Boys - 2000

BBC, Curtis Hanson Productions, MFF Feature Films Productions

Directed by Curtis Hanson

Cast:

• Professor Grady Tripp – Michael Douglas
• James Leek – Toby Maquire
• Chancellor Sara Gaskell – Frances McDormand
• Terry Crabtree – Robert Downey Jr.
• Hannah Green – Katie Holmes
• Quentin “Q” Moorwood – Rip Torn
• Emily's Father – Phillip Bosco
• Dean Walter Gaskell – Richard Thomas
• Antonia “Tony” Sloviak – Michael Cavadias
• Sam Traxler – Alan Tudyk

Story: Professor Grady Tripp is having a less than perfect day. Seven years ago he wrote an award winning novel, and has been working on a second one. Its up to 2600 pages or so, and it still isn't finished. Emily, his wife, has walked out on him this morning, the morning of the first day of the University's Wordfest, a week long celebration of writers and aspiring writers. His agent is flying in for the event and to see his manuscript, which isn't ready. To top it off, he has a student named James Leek who has talent but seems to alienate everyone in the class with his writing. James is a moody, reclusive young man who idolizes Grady, but is too shy to reveal it. And one of Tripp's students, Hannah, who also rents a room in his house, is making it obvious she is interested. After the opening lecture at the college where a rival author affectionately nicknamed “Q” is speaking, he and the agent along with a transvestite he picked up on the train go to the Chancellor's home for cocktails, where the Chancellor, who is also Grady's mistress, tells him she's pregnant. Grady excuses himself from the party soon after to go outside and relax, when he meets James. He takes the boy in with him to show him a rare collectible, the coat Marilyn Monroe wore on her wedding day, and in the process the Gaskell's dog, a blind pit bull named Poe, attacks him. James is carrying a small .22 automatic pistol and kills the dog. One thing after another continues to pile on until the film reaches a pleasant and unexpected end.

Review: If you are looking for the next action adventure film, this is not your film. If you are looking for the next box office smash or a classic of film making, this is not your film. However, if you are the kind of person who loves a good story, some exceptional acting, and few good puns and jokes thrown in to relieve the tension, this is your film. Michael Douglas portrays his role with a combination of ambivalence and passion that bring a depth the audience can relate to. Frances McDormand gives a strong performance as the woman with a career on the line and an unhappy marriage. Toby Maquire plays a very different role as the confused but talented student and writer who is uncertain about his role in life. Robert Downey Jr is excellent as the agent trying desperately to find that next big book that will put him back in the limelight. And Katie Holmes is perfect in the role of the sultry, not too sexy, not too forward, but available co-ed who wants to get into the professor's bed. The sex in the film is implied, not explicit, but the drug use and language earned the film an R rating, so you might want to make sure the kids are in the rooms before turning this one on. Not particularly collectible, but a wake up call for people who have fallen into a rut.