Wonder Boys Movie Review 2000

Curis Hanson's excellent follow up to "L.A. Confidential" pits professor and former literary star Grady (Douglas in his finest performance in years) against a strange case of writer's block, his flamboyant New York editor (Downey), an approaching literary festival, and several converging mid-life crises. His wife's just left, he's having an affair with the school chancellor (McDormand), who's the wife of his boss and has just informed him that she's pregnant, and his prize pupil is a death-obsessed compulsive liar (Maguire) who shoots his boss's dog and steals a valuable piece of memorabilia. On paper it seems chaotic, but the screwball comedy manages to be subtle and understated. Based on Michael Chambon's novel.

Distribution

Paramount Home Video, 5555 Melrose Ave., 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: (323)956-5000, URL: http://www.paramount.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 112 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Writers, Campus Capers, Pregnant Pauses, Drug Use & Abuse, King of Beasts (Dogs), Pittsburgh, Screwball Comedy, Coming of Age

Screenplay

Steven Kloves

Cast

Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Katie Holmes, Robert Downey, Richard Thomas, Rip Torn, Philip Bosco, Jane Adams

Cinematography

Dante Spinotti

Director

Curtis Hanson

Music

Christopher Young

Producer

Paramount Pictures

Awards

Oscars 2000: Song ("Things Have Changed"); Golden Globes 2001: Song ("Things Have Changed").