Wonder Boys (2000)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The acting in this movie is really good.

An English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in. Wonder Boys has a terrific and talented cast of big names like Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Rip Torn and Robert Downey Jr but the film's weird characters, bland acting and terrible script makes up for an awful movie. There's an entire plot with a dead dog, Douglas writing a book and also Douglas falling down in the entire film plus it's 1hr and 47mins only and it feels like 2hrs and 30mins that's how bad it was personally please go and see L.A Confidential it's a better directed movie and also a better acted movie too. (0/10)

Mostly ignored upon release and subsequently forgotten, this gem from 2000 is my favorite work from Curtis Hanson, who was deciding between directing this film and what was to be the Brett Ratner/Nic Cage film The Family Man. Good choice Mr. Hanson. The film was poorly marketed in the US and given a terrible release date in February and tanked, but psychotic producer Scott Rudin used his muscle to get the film re-released at the end of the year for Oscar consideration. It picked up a few nominations, but tanked again in the box office. This a is such a nice, warm and beautiful film that I find it puzzling that it also received a C cinemascore from audiences. That's a toxic exit poll and a death blow for word of mouth. There really isn't a moment in the film that feels false or out of place. It's constructed with such care and so beautifully shot by Dante Spinotti. Michael Douglas does his best work here and the man is in almost every frame of the film and he carries it like a pro. There isn't a false note in his performance and Grady Tripp is an unforgettable character. It's a simple film that takes place over a few days about characters going through complicated times in their lives and it never falls into sentiment or is condescending to the audience. It's almost perfect and it's very funny.

Prof. Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) used to be a wonder boy with his first novel. Now his wife has left him, his married mistress Dean Sara Gaskell (Frances McDormand) is pregnant, and his literary agent Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) has come with a tranny to press for his next book. He befriends his most gifted depressed student James Leer (Tobey Maguire) who is obsessed with suicides. Hannah Green (Katie Holmes) is another enigmatic student of his. When James shoots Sara's dog, what's a proper professor suppose to do? This cast of oddball characters have a series of wacky adventures. At its core are the individual characters' flaws and neuroses. Michael Douglas is wonderfully droll. He doesn't overplay the craziness, but allow it to overflow him. Tobey Maguire is wonderfully malleable. RDJ is wonderfully funny. Katie Holmes is oddly unreadable. This is probably one of Douglas' most outstanding acting role.

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.