Wonder Boys News Archives

Early Wonder Boys Review (minor spoilers)

I didn't think to much of Curtis Hanson before two years ago when I saw "L.A. Confidential". That film just blew me away, as it did with most people I guess. Now Hanson is here again with the film entitled "Wonder Boys". Again a much different film from what he has done before, but it shows us that he is a relly good director.

Just like "L.A. Confidential" the cast here is simply superb. Michael Douglas stars as college professor/writer Grady Tripp. He is heading for the downside of his life. The chancellor of the college (Frances McDormand) is pregnant and Grady is "the suspect". At least that's what everybody except Grady thinks because he has absolutely no idea of how he could be in such a position! He's convinced that it's not his baby. It can't be! But Grady has more important problems to think about. His writing isn't going very well, and his publisher (Robert Downey Jr.) is more and more demanding of new material. And if that wasn't enough Grady has to worry about one of his students, Hannah (Katie Holmes) who has a crush on him. That's a dilemma for Grady because as he says; "She's not exactly a child!", but he also knows that his "favorite" student (Tobey Maguire) who he has a very good relationship with, is in love with Hannah. So oh horror, horror, what is a man to do? Well, Grady finds a way out of it all. In a way that I don't think a lot of guys would do it. One thing is for sure. We find out that this pleasant professor isn't a very nice man. Or maybe he just have a problem thinking about anyone else but himself. It's hard to say more about it without giving any spoilers because the story has so many twist. And that what's great about it.

Oh, yeah Marilyn Monroe has something to do with the story too!

As I said the performances is suberb. Douglas is always great and Tobey Maguire really shows what he can do. In the part as a really strange but very gifted student. Downey Jr (how on earth has he the time do do all these movies when he's supposed to be in the slammer?) is simply helarious as the scandalous publisher. I don't really know what has happened to Frances McDormand since "Fargo" but her performance here is respectable. And Katie Holmes proves here, as she did in her first role; "The Ice Storm" (with Maguire), that she's one to watch out for. Her performance here is without a doubt her best so far. The character is a bit like the one she had in the fabulous "Go" but she seems more attractive in this part. Which is exactly what she's supposed to. She's the "femme fatale" of the story.

The performances makes this movie... I wouldn't say a "must see" but it's very, very close. In my book I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 . And I guess that's kind of ok for a film that is both funny and actually has a very interesting story. But I don't think Curtis Hanson has done all that much here. The movie is watchable only becauce of the performances and the script, But it's still definately a worthy followup on "L.A. Confidential" for him.

Wonder Boys Release Date News

Wonder Boys To be released In December ?

The plan behind this film version of Michael Chabon's acutely funny 1995 novel is to sneak it out at the very end of the year for a surprise assult on the Academy Awards.Good idea.This is director Curtis Hanson's first film since 1997's acclaimed L.A. Confidential- and word is that Michael Douglas may have company for his Wall Street Oscar, thanks to a let-it all-hang-out performance as a coed-chasing, pothead college prof.(December 29)

Cast News

October 4, 1999... The record has been set straight on whether or not Katie Holmes is actually in The Patriot, and we're pretty confident our new scooper knows the facts; after all, they're the Vice President of Publicity for Centropolis Entertainment. We're sorry to say that the rumor that Ms. Holmes would play Anne, the love interest of Heath Ledger's character is not true; instead, the role of Anne went to newcomer Lisa Brenner, who started her work on The Patriot on Sunday. [Thanks to Suzanne Fritz for clearing the air.]

Cast News

Cast News

Cast News

Cast News

Early Wonder Boys Review

My girlfriend managed to snag an invite to an NRG sponsored buzz preview test screening for an upcoming Paramount film, Wonder Boys.

Based on the novel of the same name (written by Michael Chabon), which I've neither heard of nor read, the story unfolds over a weekend festival of literati at the University of Pittsburgh.

Professor Grady Tripp's (played by Michael Douglas) weekend starts off badly. His wife left him, his editor's in town for the weekend and his latest contractual obligation novel is rather late, his mistress, the wife of another professor at the university, announces she's pregnant.

What follows, while not quite the out of control roller coaster that is After Hours, is still a weekend of instability that slaps Professor Tripp in the face and makes his head get screwed on right.

This is another great performance from Michael Douglas. Roger Ebert called him a "versatile pro" in his review of "A Perfect Murder", and here he proves it. Grady Tripp is the sort of character you expect to be played by Nick Nolte or Jeff Bridges, but Douglas is great.

All the other performances are either great, or really good. Frances McDormand, playng his mistress, proves she doesn't need to sleep with the director to get a part, Robert Downey Jr. plays a gay version of himself (I agree with David Poland here, I want to see the Robert Downey Jr. biopic), and Tobey Maguire (looking a lot like Kyle MacLachlan) turns in a performance unfortunately reminiscent of Wes Bentley in American Beauty. Hopefully by the time this movie comes out, American Beauty will have been gone from the theatres for a while. There's also a bit part played with relish by Rip Torn.

There's some great location shots of Pittsburgh, the story unfolds at a decent pace, though the story did kind of slow towards the end, I blame this on the lack of a score, because there was nothing to cut to pick up the pace. That's right, there's nothing to cut. Everything is used, there are no loose ends or dangling subplots. I expect one subplot to be trimmed out prior to release, leaving us with just the setup and scratching our heads when we leave the film, but that's just because Hollywood producers are idiots.

There are a few soundtrack songs dropped in, which are all good, and fit okay.

The production seems to be the kind of nostalgia vision we saw in Payback. There are no cell phones, the writers all use typewriters, and we even saw one rotary dial phone.

Lots of drug use, one dog killing, and implied homosexual sex means the Childcare Action Project http://www.capalert.com/ is going to have a field day with this one.

I'm definitely going to see the final product when it's released, and you should too.

CMU Campus Abuzz as WB Starts Filming

Fan Visits Set

A Day In The Life of an Extra

Entertainment Lights! Camera! Action!

Coming Attractions - Wonder Boys.