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Wonder Boys is a unique comedy that lets you see what the characters are going through. The movie presents itself a pleasant and strange characters and see what is about to occur in every little bit. Wonder Boys achieves to be both a delightful character study and also a stunning success directed into a nice joint piece. It is fairly uplifting to see characters cooperate, contrast,connect, laugh, and mostly do things that appear in full honesty. While it's not a flawless movie, Wonder Boys is applauded for its sharp and smart script and bountiful of great acting.

Grady is having a bumpy day. His wife left him, his girlfriend is pregnant, he has an attractive looking student whom rents a room from him, and his editor shows up at his city with a transvestite, and one of his students shows up at a party with a gun. As the viewers, we're in for one hell of entertaining ride.

When a flick like Wonder Boys works in nearly all sizes, the greatest attention is rewarded to the actors and actresses. Michael Douglas was pleasant to watch in this movie. Frances McDormand modestly glosses. Katie Holmes was all-out excellent in her character. She's relaxed and smart, and a harsh one as well. As continuously, Robert Downey Jr. is funny and hazardous. He accepts much jeopardy as an actor. The one who mounted out the most for me is Tobey Maguire, smart, shy, weird, and funny was the type of character he played. The kind of guy you stay away from if you were to encounter one in school.

Wonder Boys prepares what any upright film would do: It provides characters to like and a script that expresses a charming story.

Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, and the awesome Frances McDormand. Douglas is Tripp, college professor, who is also writing a book, of course, as all english professors do. And shagging the chancellor, Sara (McDormand). Tripp narrates many of the scenes, and seems to be telling us what is really going on in his mind. There are many issues going on around Tripp, as with many of us. One of his students brandishes a gun, and loves talking about suicide. One rents a room from him. His editor (Robert Downey) wants an update on his book. Gender bending. Pregnancy. And as usual, in a Frances McDormand film, at a certain point, things go off the rails. It's quite well done, and we can't look away. Gotta see this through to the end! It's a week in the crazy life of professor Tripp. Like he says at the beginning, he's got Tenure! Directed by Curtis Hanson. Won the oscar for LA Confidential. Written by Michael Chabon, who has written a mix of novels, screenplays, and television. Good film, but i guess the product placement for Howard Johsons Grill didn't help... i think they're all gone now. Same for Bell Atlantic.

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.

I do not know why I waited this long to watch this. I love Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire in this. The movie is full of subtle comedy which makes it funny, yet a bit sad at the same time.

Nevertheless, it's feel-good and stress-free. I love love love the Wonder Boys.

A terrific film from Curtis Hanson (director and co-writer of "L.A. Confidential"), starring Michael Douglas as a college professor in the grips of a midlife crisis.

Midlife crises as subjects for movies or books generally bore me unless they're written and acted extremely well, as is the case with this movie. Douglas gets able help from the ever-reliable Robert Downey, Jr., who has a couple of hilarious scenes, and a great theme song written and performed by Bob Dylan that won Dylan the Academy Award.

The film also received Oscar nominations for its adapted screenplay and its film editing.

Grade: A

In commemoration of the late Curtis Hanson, who passed away in September at the age of 71, an all-around director, writer and producer, WONDER BOYS came after his career-pinnacle crime-noir L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997), and was dead on arrival in its domestic release after being bizarrely dumped into a languish February, yet, almost one-year later (after a not-so-successful re-release during the Oscar season), it was nominated for 3 Oscars and won Bob Dylan his only Oscar to date, for its pensive theme song THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

Who are the titular wonder boys? The obvious one is James Leer (Maguire), a young writer whose withdrawn temperament is yoked with his impromptu falsehoods, who remembers all the suicidal cases of Hollywood stars but his unpublished first novel is definitely a gem-in-the-can. Taking into account the plural form of "boys", the other wonder boy must be referred to our protagonist, James' middle-aged university professor Grady Tripp (Douglas), whose life has been squarely stuck in a pickle, his wife left him and he is in an extramarital affair with the university chancellor Sara Gaskell (McDormand), who just informs him that she is pregnant with his baby, so that's the ultimatum. Also, he is unable to finish his second novel, a typical sophomore syndrome if the first one is too good to excel, plus his pansexual editor Terry Crabtree (Downey Jr.) arrives in Pittsburgh to check up on him about his stalling creativity progress.

A tentative bond builds between Grady and James during their madcap experience at Sara's place one night, which involves a loaded cap gun, a jacket Marilyn Monroe once wore in her wedding day, a dead blind dog names Poe and a stolen car. Hanson's film credibly captures a tangible veneer of intelligentsia's ambiguity between sophistication and naïvety, often under the influence of booze or drugs, and the narrative is trenchantly driven by subtext rather than over-blunt dialogues, without being facilely condescending. WONDER BOYS is replete with dry humors too, and not always bank on the face value, the story may dredges up Grady's scrape to the fore, but there is never a dull moment in his marijuana-addled, gimping journey before he can finally make a right choice in the right moment.

Michael Douglas gives an astonishingly engrossing impersonation of Prof. Tripp, certainly a high point in his résumé, carrying an air of bookishness, but substantially sympathetic in his man-child mode, makes a great couple with a comfortably relaxed McDormand. In the era before Marvel's enrollment, it is so refreshing to watch the bromance pair of a puppy-eyed Maguire and a rejoinders-shooting Downey Jr. (who is a jolly scene-stealer), play lovey-dovey here, the placement of homosexual element (including a transvestite character played by real-life drag queen Cavadias) is subsidiary to the main plot, but is massively conducive to set an early mark of normalizing its existence in a mainstream product's storyline, especially in such a nonchalant attitude. Last but not the least, WONDER BOYS' eclectically reminiscent soundtrack is a slam-bang antidote catering to any nostalgia-stricken individual.

This film is of the eccentric genre much like Harold Pinters The Caretaker. I felt, given the dialogue it should have been hilarious instead of quite continuously full of giggles, which it undoubtedly was. There is always a danger in transferring the written word from book form to stage play or film, in that meaning, nuance and timing are detrimentally changed. I think this is a case in point, though personally its at the "feel" level, i.e. I am aware something is just missing without knowing what it is in specific terms. I wonder if the author was collaborative and approving of Steve Kloves screenplay.It was as if sometimes the eccentric build up needed a conclusion or a punch line, even a throw away line. Even in excellent subtle work, the conclusion has to be "packaged" in nuance. I still loved its comical eccentricity, yet I sensed a work of genius unrealised.

This comedy/drama about a writer, along with being a somewhat inappropriate with his students English Professor, who wrote a hit book, but can't seem to finish a second one in the midst of a chaotic life, was a critical hit when released, but a commercial failure. I'm not sure why. It's a good movie with a wondrous cast not to mention having an accomplished director, Curtis Hanson, as well as an accomplished writer in Steve Kloves who wrote and directed the fabulous The Fabulous Baker Boys, though as wonderful as his direction was for that, writing seems to be where his interests lie. The film is quite humorous with some delightful characters and a really nice ending. I've never been much of a Michael Douglas fan, though obviously he's been fine in some things, but this is my favorite performance by him. I hadn't seen this since it was released 25 years ago (!) and to be honest, it's not quite as good as I had remembered it to be, but it's still a very good movie I that would recommend.

The most emotionally engaging films get the viewer to hold a vested interest in the characters for their entire running time.  Regrettably, Wonder Boys doesn't quite manage this, but its second half is strong enough to pull the film together. While Steve Kloves' script (from Michael Chabon's novel) is entertaining all the way though, the characters take a while to really stick, and the film's first section is rather cold as a result.  As the audience follows Grady Tripp's voyage of self-discovery, though, we actually come to know him as he comes to know himself, and his relationships with others - in particular his student James Leer and editor Terry Crabtree - really open up.  It is here that the film becomes incredibly warm, and where it wins the viewer over.  A host of top-shelf performances - from Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, and Robert Downey Jr. (apologies to Katie Holmes, but her character is really underdrawn) - certainly help things along.

Michael Douglas reminds us all that despite having been in nothing but tosh for a decade or so, he is still a pretty good actor. He plays Grady, a college professor who's midlife crisis reaches a climax on the weekend his wife leaves him, his editor is in town and his mistress has some big news. Highly enjoyable comedy-drama, with an excellent supporting cast (particularly Toby Maguire). Not life-changing, but well worth a look.

Enjoyable and well paced film about a university prof (Douglas) who, along with his co-stars, goes through a series of odd and unpleasant events over the course of a few days. Some of the best dialogue of 2000 and never boring. Recommended.

I caught this one quite by accident and had heard it was one of those that was a "sleeper" and there was little promo done on it.

I gave it an 8 out of 10.

Michael Douglas, who has always irritated me with his mannerisms, gives a potential Oscar winner here as a jaded old professor who puts in one hell of a 36 hour period when everything goes wrong.

He is not afraid to look frazzled, silly and old. His performance is a knockout and incredibly funny. Tobey Maguire also shines in this and I was laughing so hard in parts I resolved I just have to see it again, to pick up on what I may have missed the first time around.

The dialogue is sharp, witty and fast and shifts are subtle and clever.

This restores my faith in Hollywood. Robert Downey junior is also excellent and dares to play an offbeat role and play it well.

Frances McDormand is brilliant as are all the bits, - Richard Thomas as a stuffed shirt and Marilyn Monroe worshipper. Bravo to all on this.

Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is a struggling writer living in Pittsburgh can't seem to write anything. He is also a college professor and happens to impregnate the chancellor (Frances McDormand).

He also proceeds to seek the help of student James Leer (Tobey Maguire) in a quest to try and find a rare jacket that used to be owned by Marilyn Monroe; and on top of all this, a college girl, Hannah Green (Katie Holmes), who is boarding with Grady, seems to have a crush on him.

"Wonder Boys" is based on a well-known book by Michael Chabon, which I have heard is very good, but which I have not read. As a result, I can't compare the two - chances are the book is better (they almost always are) but I wouldn't know.

What I can commend are the efforts by director Curtis Hanson to resist from turning this into a crude little sex film. It's a witty, wonderful little comedy that has a heart for its characters, and sympathizes with all of them.

If you're looking for a bunch of laughs, look elsewhere - this is not frequently funny, in-your-face stuff. But if you want a mature and smart film, "Wonder Boys" is a safe bet.

Mike Douglas plays one of those men that only the college system can support. A blocked book writer come lecturer whose love of dope and longish hair harks back the time when these things were all the rage. Now he is just a beaten and battered antique who can't quite get his life together, although it still has its windfalls.

What a curious piece of work. I didn't think America could do stuff like this anymore. Not without filming it on a digital camera in someone's backyard. Dowdy men in old clothes and the people that circle around them. Not all failures, but always with small faults. I want to give this one an extra mark for bravery alone. I am sure the box office wasn't set alight - but this will be playing when the hits are forgotten.

Here we have a modern view of sex: Gay, straight or bisexual, it is all the same. For no one here thinks it is too big a deal. There is no zooms to shocked faces or voices of outrage. In truth this what modern life is really about - people don't actually care. People care in the movies because there has to be some point of drama, so why throw any away?

Toby Maquire reminds me a lot of Bud Cort in Harold and Maude (now that is a cult movie!) in that he does nothing with his face. He just sits there and underplays, although he has great acting eyes. At one stage he is sat at a table and motions only with his eyes. A small moment, but a great one. He is a talented novelist, but that isn't the point. His reckless personality drives the plot - but he is forgiven. As people with talent often are.

There are no big laughs here. The jokes are dark, not broad. Even when the characters are taken off the leash they don't want to run anywhere or do a great deal. I give this an eight, although it is probably more of a seven. The extra mark is for going places that few movies with a budget want to go and giving insight in to failing lives.

If I go to see a movie in a theater it has to be a really special movie. Either it´s the kind of a movie that has to be seen on big screen or it´s just an other kind of an "event" (critically-acclaimed, award-winning etc.). I prefer watching dramas and "real-life" stories on small screen. But still I find it surprising that only few people went to see Wonder Boys during its theatrical run. I watched Wonder Boys on DVD a few days ago and it was a pure gem of a movie. I had read tons of positive reviews and since my friend had bought the disc I figured it had to be at least watchable. I have nothing against dumb big-budget blockbusters, but you miss a lot if you watch just those kind of movies. In movies like Wonder Boys the stage belongs to the cast and the story. Michael Douglas is without a doubt one of the most talented actors working in Hollywood. He can do drama, comedy (Romancing The Stone, The War Of The Roses) and thriller (A Perfect Murder, Disclosure, The Game). Frances McDormand, who has fantastic in Fargo, impresses as well, and so does everybody else. And if you thought Tobey Maguire was good in the overrated Spider-Man be sure to check Wonder Boys. Wonder Boys is a successful mixture of real life drama and comedy and it certainly deserves multiple viewings. Highly recommended.

This movie i can watch over and over again it's just a metaphor for every artists life. I can honestly say that Tobey Maguire impressed me. While Michael Douglas and Robert Downey Jr. do their usual superb preformance. That combined with the comedy and powerful message really makes this movie something special. It kind of reminds me of a happy American Beauty. I love what the director has done with this film it's just fantastic. Katie Holmes in my opinion needs to start doing more films like wonder boys instead of going after the money she could go on and expand her carear into being comparable to a meryl streep.

8/10

I enjoy action and horror movies as much as the next freak, but sometimes I enjoy a warm character-driven drama comedy. And I really enjoyed this. A distinctly unglamorous Michael Douglas is forced to face the threads of his unraveling life during a weekend complicated by a soon-to-be ex-wife, a pregnant mistress, an editor desperate for a new hit, a self-destructive genius student, and a blind dead dog. Best lines include Katie Holmes' generous assessment of Douglas' 2600+ page opus and practically everything Tobey Maguire says. What a nice movie. You may not want to show it to your mom, but it'd be perfect for sitting around with friends. (8/10)

An excellent "dark" comedy that I would reccomend to anyone. A brilliant story with great acting makes this comedy very enjoyable. It features great actors like Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Frances Mcdormand, along with Robert Downey Jr. Even though it is a bit slow at times the director Curtis Hanson(L.A. Confidential) makes up for it by incorporating great underlying plots, carried on by stellar acting. All in all a very funny film that every one should see. A nine in my book which could of easily been higher if Katie Holmes would of recieved more screen time.

An excellent "dark" comedy that I would recommend to anyone. A brilliant story with great acting makes this comedy very enjoyable. It features great actors like Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Frances Mcdormand, along with Robert Downey Jr. Even though it is a bit slow at times the director Curtis Hanson(L.A. Confidential) makes up for it by incorporating great underlying plots, carried on by stellar acting. All in all a very funny film that every one should see. A nine in my book which could of easily been higher if Katie Holmes would of received more screen time.

This movie reads like a book... I usually like movies that do. Most of the Coen brothers' movies do, and they are highly intelligent, well directed and well played. I think this one sure did. One question remains though: who is the Wonder Boy in this movie ? Is it Robert Downey Jr. for playing his typical part again (well casted!), is it Michael Douglas for a non-typical performance or is it Tobey Maguire for playing a highly likeable and very hilarious outsider. My answer would be, they all are!

WONDER BOYS (2000) ***1/2

The year of 2000 was not as good for cinema as the year of 1999 was. Then we had at least four true masterpieces: MAGNOLIA, AMERICAN BEAUTY, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and EYES WIDE SHUT, and lots of great films: ELECTION, THE END OF THE AFFAIR, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, THE SIXTH SENSE, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, BOYS DON'T CRY, FIGHT CLUB, SOUTH PARK... Unfortunately, my list will not be that long in 2000, but WONDER BOYS will be there for sure. Released in the end of February, it wasn't a big box-office success, but was praised by most of the critics. Now that it is being re-released in order to get Oscar nominations, it is no hard job to take a look in this great film.

The story is focused on Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas), a University professor who is having a bad weekend. His second or third wife has left him. He is writing a book but has an uncommon trouble: too much ideas- and he writes everything that comes to his mind. His editor (Robert Downey Jr.) arrives to see how the things are going on. Grady's lover, Sara (Frances McDormand), his boss' wife, is pregnant. And one of his pupils, James (Tobey Maguire), wants to stay with him for the whole weekend. To make everything worse, James steals a coat that belonged to Marilyn Monroe at Sara's house and kills her dog. So the point is that Grady has to solve all those things and their consequences on a weekend. Poor guy!

Of course we had to expect something great from Curtis Hanson after L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, but we don't have to worry about that. WONDER BOYS is almost as good as Hanson's latest picture. He directs this dramedy with the right tone, avoiding cliches and, with the help of the editor and the director of photography, he makes the film move together with the main character, who is a mari-juana addict: slow-paced, sometimes mad, sometimes sleepy. This was intentional, of course, and the result is original and admirable, without being forced or out of control. Not only Hanson may take an Oscar nomination, but also the screenplay, that mixes dark comedy and drama, with delightful situations and intelligent dialogues. I can't forget to mention the performances, that also make the difference. Michael Douglas is terrific; I can't think of another person to the role. Frances McDormand is back for good. She was incredible in FARGO and is great here. Tobey Maguire surprised me, because most of his performances are bland, and so did Robert Downey Jr. Katie Holmes is always good when she is out of crappy DAWSON'S CREEK, but her character is disposable. This is one of the film's problems. Some minor characters, as the man who Grady calls Vernon and the waitress, have more importance here than Katie Holmes and Rip Torn- both of them are window dressing. The conclusion was also not that good, could have been better.

Even with those minor flaws, WONDER BOYS is a great film. It's basically about two men- Grady and James, the teacher and the pupil. One of them is a genius, but each one has to learn with the other. It's also a story with a moral, a simple one- life has got a way. For things like that I like this film so much and hope the old guys from the Academy remember it in some categories. It is intelligent, entertaining, bittersweet, delightful. A must-see.