Masterpiece Cinema - Wonder Boys

Has it been a week already? With "Spider-Man 2" opening soon, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the earlier work of one Tobey Maguire, doing a great job in a film that never got as much attention as it deserved

This week- Wonder Boys

Starring Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, Rip Torn.
Written by Michael Chabon (Book) and Steven Kloves (Screenplay).
Directed by Curtis Hanson.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Released: 2000
Running time: 111 min.
Rated: R (American rating for language and drug content).

IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0185014/

Michael Douglas is a bit of a give-or-take in my opinion. There are movies in which he's fantastic, and there are others where you just wonder what he was thinking this is setting aside the jealous rage I harbour towards him thanks to his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones. Dirty old bastard.

Oh, but I love "Wonder Boys," and I love Michael Douglas in "Wonder Boys." The hard thing for me is being able to tell if I love it because its all about writers and writing which I always find fascinating or because it really is a good movie. Luckily for me, and this column, I think its more the latter than the former.

Katie Holmes and Michael Douglas

Douglas plays Grady Tripp, a University professor whos having something of a life crisis. His wife, nearly half his age, has just left him while at the same time his mistress tells him that shes pregnant. His editor is coming to town to take a look at the book hes been writing for the past seven years, and to top it all off one of his students is flipping off the deep end and trying to take Grady with him. I know it sounds pretty dour, and sure it has its moments, but this drama is balanced with some brilliant flourishes of humour.

Maguire plays Douglas student, and hes perfect in the role hes weird, introverted, and sometimes a little dangerous, but still manages to be endearing. You can understand why Grady has trouble just brushing the kid off, with his quiet persistence and broken-hearted demeanour.

Tobey Maguire and Michael Douglas

In my mind, it's becoming a bit of a clich for this column to contain the line, "In fact, all the actors in the cast are superb," or some variation on such, but once again, it's quite true here. Even Katie Holmes, whom I often find to be a mediocre talent, shines in her limited, but very appealing, role. Rip Torn gives his fairly small part of Gradys friendly rival, Q, some real gravitas, and Robert Downey Jr. imbues his role of Gradys editor with a charmingly sardonic sense of humour. And Frances McDormand as Gradys reluctant mistress? Fantastic, as always.

"Wonder Boys" is a movie I'd recommend to aspiring writers because it manages to instill a sense of hope in those aspiring to make a career for themselves in what many regard as a fairly hopeless field. It's also a movie I'd recommend to anyone interested in watching something that, a little off-centre it may be, is nevertheless incredibly appealing, and has some wonderful (Ha! Unintentional pun!) things to say about life, and the pursuit of happiness.

Next week: Whats the most politically correct term for a little person? Dwarf, midget, or really justlittle person? I really need to know; otherwise Im going to feel like a real arse come next review.

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