Adapted from the great Michael Chabon novel of the same name, Wonder Boys (2000) had all the elements in place to make it a huge success. When Wonder Boys failed to impress audiences upon it's February, 2000 release, Studio execs were still determined to make it happen and, in a rare move, re-released the film nine months later in November, 2000. It still did not fare well the second time... the reason is a mystery. Directed by Curtis Hanson, Wonder Boys is a truly amazing film, with great cinematography and interesting Pittsburgh, PA locations. The ensemble cast is stellar, with some of the principles delivering their best work in years, including Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Katie Holmes and Rip Torn. It is Tobey Maguire and Robert Downey Jr., however, that really steal the show as a morose aspiring author and a flamboyant editor, respectively. The small amount of recognition Wonder Boys did receive was largely due to the tight musical soundtrack, led by the incomparable Bob Dylan... with Dylan's original song, "Things Have Changed" winning the Academy Award that year. In the more-than-dozen years since it's release, Wonder Boys has gained some acclaim, and a well-deserved amount of belated attention.
Michael Douglas plays Grady Tripp, a novelist and college professor who has reached an impasse. His wife left him, his mistress, the University Chencellor (Frances McDormand), is pregnant and he has been unable to finish writing his new novel for the past seven years...
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Michael Douglas |
A Word fest event brings his flamboyantly gay editor, Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) and other literati to the University for the weekend...
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Robert Downey, Jr. |
One of Grady's students, James Leer (Toby Maguire), is fascinated by old Hollywood deaths and suicides. Grady's troubles are multiplied when, at the Chancellor's house party, he points out a valuable jacket worn by Marilyn Monroe on her wedding day to his student. James Leer consequently steals the jacket and some of the future events of the film hinge on this act...
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Tobey Maguire and Marilyn Monroe's jacket |
Meanwhile Grady has more problems... with a dead dog in his trunk... and his young tenant, Hannah (Katie Holmes), has a crush on him...
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Katie Holmes |
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Katie Holmes |
Terry Crabtree is corrupting the impressionable James Leer...
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Robert Downey, Jr. |
And Grady's novel is still unfinished...
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Michael Douglas |
Can all these interesting characters resolve the assorted problems in their lives and find a way to make everything work out for good or ill?
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Robert Downey, Jr. |
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| Wonder Boys. 2000: Michael Douglas |
