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ComedyDrama

Wonder Boys

- Undependable. Unpredictable. Unforgettable.

Grady is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years—not since he wrote his award winning 'Great American Novel' 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.

Release Date : 2000-02-22

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount PicturesMutual Film CompanyScott Rudin ProductionsCurtis Hanson ProductionsBBCMarubeniTOHO-TOWATele MünchenMFF Feature Film Productions

Production Country : GermanyJapanUnited KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Michael Douglas

Character Name : Grady Tripp

Original Name : Michael Douglas

Gender : Male

Tobey Maguire

Character Name : James Leer

Original Name : Tobey Maguire

Gender : Male

Frances McDormand

Character Name : Sara Gaskell

Original Name : Frances McDormand

Gender : Female

Robert Downey Jr.

Character Name : Terry Crabtree

Original Name : Robert Downey Jr.

Gender : Male

Katie Holmes

Character Name : Hannah Green

Original Name : Katie Holmes

Gender : Female

Rip Torn

Character Name : Q

Original Name : Rip Torn

Gender : Male

Richard Knox

Character Name : Vernon Hardapple

Original Name : Richard Knox

Gender : Male

Jane Adams

Character Name : Oola

Original Name : Jane Adams

Gender : Female

Michael Cavadias

Character Name : Miss Sloviak

Original Name : Michael Cavadias

Gender : Male

Richard Thomas

Character Name : Walter Gaskell

Original Name : Richard Thomas

Gender : Male

Alan Tudyk

Character Name : Sam Traxler

Original Name : Alan Tudyk

Gender : Male

Philip Bosco

Character Name : Emily's Father

Original Name : Philip Bosco

Gender : Male

George Grizzard

Character Name : Fred Leer

Original Name : George Grizzard

Gender : Male

Kelly Bishop

Character Name : Amanda Leer

Original Name : Kelly Bishop

Gender : Female

Bill Velin

Character Name : Officer Pupcik

Original Name : Bill Velin

Gender : Male

Charis Michelsen

Character Name : Carrie

Original Name : Charis Michelsen

Gender : Female

Yusuf Gatewood

Character Name : Howard

Original Name : Yusuf Gatewood

Gender : Male

June Hildreth

Character Name : Emily's Mother

Original Name : June Hildreth

Gender : Male

Elisabeth Granli

Character Name : Emily (photo)

Original Name : Elisabeth Granli

Gender : Female

Richard Hidlebird

Character Name : Hi-Hat Bouncer

Original Name : Richard Hidlebird

Gender : Male

Screamer

Character Name : Poe

Original Name : Screamer

Gender : Male

Bingo O'Malley

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : Bingo O'Malley

Gender : Male

Patricia Cray

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : Patricia Cray

Gender : Female

Marita Golden

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : Marita Golden

Gender : Male

Victor Quinaz

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : Victor Quinaz

Gender : Male

James Ellroy

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : James Ellroy

Gender : Male

Lenora Nemetz

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : Lenora Nemetz

Gender : Male

Tracey D. Turner

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : Tracey D. Turner

Gender : Male

James Kisicki

Character Name : Wordfest Party Guest

Original Name : James Kisicki

Gender : Male

Rob McElhenney

Character Name : Student

Original Name : Rob McElhenney

Gender : Male

Anika Bobb

Character Name : Student

Original Name : Anika Bobb

Gender : Male

Katherine Sweeney

Character Name : Student

Original Name : Katherine Sweeney

Gender : Male

Katrina M. Faessel

Character Name : Student (uncredited)

Original Name : Katrina M. Faessel

Gender : Male

John W. Iwanonkiw

Character Name : Father at Hospital (uncredited)

Original Name : John W. Iwanonkiw

Gender : Male

Sean King

Character Name : Student (uncredited)

Original Name : Sean King

Gender : Male

David Lean

Character Name : Student (uncredited)

Original Name : David Lean

Gender : Male

Jackson Nunn

Character Name : Night Club Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jackson Nunn

Gender : Male

Sandy Slicker

Character Name : Woman in Forum (uncredited)

Original Name : Sandy Slicker

Gender : Male

Andrew Zehner

Character Name : Student (uncredited)

Original Name : Andrew Zehner

Gender : Male

Reviews

Peter McGinn

@narrator56

2021-06-23

I have to believe I saw this movie a year or two after it came out, but I had no feelings of deja vu as I watched it, so perhaps not. I usually have very little patience for movies about writers because I am one, and I get tired of them bringing up writers’ block, which I don’t believe exists, or else they have the character become wildly successful in record time. There are a lot of struggling actresses and musicians and waitresses in movies, but writers often get fast-track succes. Anyway, I wander off topic. I enjoyed the movie with its range of quirky characters, and minor plot twists. There are only a couple of two-dimensional characters; the rest are given depth, even a few who don’t have a lot of screen time. It shows what can be achieved with a good ensemble cast and a decent script.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-03-14

"Prof. Tripp" (Michael Douglas) hasn't his troubles to seek. He hasn't been able to follow up on his first novel for almost seven years - much to the chagrin of his agent "Terry" (Robert Downey Jr); his third wife has left him and he is about to father a child with his (married) boss (Frances McDormand) at the university where he works. His writer's block isn't really much helped by the omnipresence of his star pupil "James" (Tobey Maguire) nor by his increasingly debilitating pot habit. It's the man's mid life crisis from hell, but can he navigate a way out of this and keep some semblance of his self respective and, maybe even his career! Meantime, his protégé is having a few issues of his own - not least because he accidentally shot the principal's dog and he is the object of the amorous attentions of the ambisextrous "Terry" too! There's quite a decent dynamic between Douglas and Maguire as both men have to come to terms with their own problems and with their growing reliance on and frustration of each other and there is plenty of witty dialogue that is more complexly structured and subtly potent at times. The narrative is quite tightly packed into just one weekend, and that helps keeps the momentum going as the characters develop in quite a plausible - and not always likeable - fashion. Luckily, the one-dimensional Katie Holmes appears only sparingly as the plot thickens to a nicely bubbling stew at the end. It's a decent reminder that Douglas could act, given a strong story and script, and he shows us that well here with this superior ensemble drama.