Ready???
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."
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