Wonder Boys (DVD)
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Written by: Michael Chabon (novel), Steven Kloves
Starring: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Robert Downey Jr., Frances McDormand

Wonder Boys is a movie that made almost every critic’s top 10 list last year, and yet it made a very brief appearance in theatres, and managed to fly under most people’s radars. Although it’s pretty normal for critics to love a movie that the general public didn’t like, I think that with this movie, the general public probably would have also liked it if they had been given the chance.

I see Wonder Boys almost like the American Beauty of 2000. It’s a movie that both critics and general audiences can appreciate. Both movies are about a wide array of characters struggling to find meaning in their lives, and both have a very witty sense of humour about the whole thing.

Also, like American Beauty, Wonder Boys has a solid cast that carries this film to another level. Michael Douglas, Toby Maguire and Robert Downey Jr are all stellar. Frances McDormand, who is often overlooked in her acting, also brings a great performance to the screen. Then there’s Katie Holmes, who has a habit of starring in some great movies, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence. All the actors take a very laidback, realistic approach to their roles, and no one overdoes it. The characters all feel like real people.

Grady Tripp, played by Michael Douglas, is a professor who wrote a book a few years ago that many people praised, but now he is struggling to come up with a second one. There is a student in his class named James Leer (Tobey Maguire), who is also a writer with great potential, but who tends to get himself into a bit of trouble now and then. Not that Grady himself doesn’t know how to get into trouble. He just happens to have an affair with the Chancellor’s wife (Frances McDormand) and gets her pregnant. In amongst all this also is Hannah Green (Katie Holmes), a young student who boards with Grady and also has a bit of a crush on him. Both Grady and James find that they have a lot in common and Grady sort of takes James under his wing as they both try to sort out their lives and realize their potential.

It’s difficult to find a lot of things to say about Wonder Boys. Curtis Hanson’s last project was L.A. Confidential, and I really can’t see many similarities between these 2 movies.

Wonder Boys has a lot of funny moments, and there are a lot of ridiculous situations, but it’s not really a comedy. In some sense it is a college movie, but it’s not about students partying and going crazy Animal House-style. It’s difficult to categorize, as the best films usually are. The movie slows things down to a pace where you can enjoy the humour, and yet still have ample time for reflection. This is probably the main reason why I think it is similar to American Beauty – the movie had a way of making you smile, and at the same time, making you think.

The photography in Wonder Boys is amazing. There is a real emphasis on earthy colours in this movie. The greens and browns are used over and over again, creating sort of a drab atmosphere, which parallels Grady Tripp’s life. The scenery is also beautiful, and all the winter weather is captured on film with great care. There is a scene outside of a diner at night, when Grady is standing outside in a parking lot and the snow is falling all around him. It is breathtaking. One complaint about that scene though… I have nothing against Bob Dylan or the song he wrote for the movie, but it sounds rather cheesy and makes me cringe when it suddenly kicks in at that point in the film.

One thing that I am a little curious about: there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the film saying that it had been “edited for content”. What the hell is this all about? I didn’t rent it from Blockbuster, and I didn’t watch it on TV, so why should the movie be edited in any way at all?

The DVD layout and menu was really cool, but there weren’t too many extras on here. Still, I think DVD is the medium of choice for this film, if you have access to it, because the video just looks amazing.

There is no doubt, this is a great film. I don’t know if it deserves all the hype that the critics have been stirring up, but it’s thoughtful and enjoyable. As long as you have the patience to sit through a movie that is a little slower paced, you will be greatly rewarded for it. — Sean

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