VINCE'S MOVIE REVIEWS |
 Drama and Comedy ...You're stoned. She's still a transvestite. |
|
Here we go. This is a story of a man named Grady who is quite a very famous writer, who moonlights as a professor, who spents a lot of time avoiding his editor, who comes town for a party, which is thrown by the university chancello,r who is married to the dean, but, is in love with the writer. Oops she's pregnant. Now there is this young student who came to Grady to be inspired... but instead changes the professor's life and oh yes he shoots the dean's dog...oops. Okay trust me, there is a lot more to this wonderful movie about WONDER BOYS. It is a story about an unfinished novel that has reached page 2561, a stolen car, a dog killed in self defence, an unstable student, the fed up wife, and a pregnant lover...these are the things that Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) has to deal with. Michael Douglas is a 50 something English professor who had an award winning novel published 7 years earlier but nothing since. He is writing a book now but it has already reached over 2500 pages and he can't seem to end it. His editor Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) arrives for the college's annual literary festival and to see his new book. Terry is a little unorthodox himself...he arrives with a transvestitie as his date. In attendance is Q a famous writer played by Rip Torn, also a peculiar student writer named James Leer (Tobey Maguire) who seems to be a liar and somewhat peculiar but most of all he is about to help Grady turn his life around in more ways than one. They all come together at the chancellor's house party. The chancellor Sara Gaskell is played by Frances McDormand who is married to the dean, Walter Gaskell (Richard Thomas). Here much happens that affects all the different characters. Grady finds out, at the party, that Sara is pregnant. Confused and befuddled Grady ends up trying to calm down James Leer by showing him the dean Gaskell's prized collection of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio memorabilia. When everyone has left they try to leave as well only to be confronted by the dean's blind, cantankerous dog, Poe who attacks and bites Grady's leg. To protect him Leer shoots the dog. Lot's of silliness surrounds the hiding of the dog as the story progresses. This story follows these characters as they all come to grips with their live's. Leer comes to the attention of Crabtree when he read's this young writer's book. Grady and Crabtree work to make sure that he gets the chance to be published. Grady at the same time has to come to grips with his inability to put a finish to the book but fate will take a hand in that one. Coming to grips with the fact that he does love Sara is something only he can do. Just to throw a monkey wrench into his life is Hannah Green, a beautiful young writing student played by Katie Holmes ("Dawson’s Creek") who happens to have quite a crunch on Grady. There is an interesting side story as well involving Richard Knox as Vernon Hardapple, who seems to be stalking Grady and his car. Jane Adams as Oola, Hardapple’s pregnant girlfriend is involved with Marilyn Monroe's missing coat. There is so much in this movie that it would take to much space to explain it all but then it would give away to much as well. So, if you wnat to see a wonderful movie with plenty of body and excellent acting then go see WONDER BOYS. "It helps to know where you want to go." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rating Canada... Rated AA for language and drug content |
Read Still Another Review Of This Film |
 |
vjm@metrocity.com