Funny and enjoyable drama about a self-centered English professor (Michael Douglas) who encounters several little dilemmas during a weekend festival on the college campus where he works.
The performance that Douglas delivers here got to be one of his finest in recent memory. Perhaps his best. Besides Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Frances McDormand, Rip Torn, and Robert Downey, Jr. make one of the best supporting casts that I've seen in quite some time. Downey and Maguire (who portray the curious editor and the prized pupil) both turn in super performances that should have earned the pair Best Supporting Actor nominations. Torn's character shares the same name as the man who gave James Bond those cute and exciting gadgets, which is "Q".
"Wonder Boys" is the first film directed by Curtis Hanson, who hit gold with "L.A. Confidential" a few years ago. Screenwriter Steve Kloves writes a smart and intelligent story here and places the funny moments with some perfect timing. Photographer Dante Spinotti ("Heat", "L.A. Confidential", "The Insider") provides the movie with great views of the campus during the fall and winter seasons. The movie's theme song, "Things Have Changed", written and sung by the legendary Bob Dylan, is great to listen to and deserves an Oscar for it.
Overall, this film is the best college movie made since John Landis' classic comedy spoof/satire, "Animal House". This movie is "Animal House" with much better morals and doesn't have the common clichés.
The performance that Douglas delivers here got to be one of his finest in recent memory. Perhaps his best. Besides Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Frances McDormand, Rip Torn, and Robert Downey, Jr. make one of the best supporting casts that I've seen in quite some time. Downey and Maguire (who portray the curious editor and the prized pupil) both turn in super performances that should have earned the pair Best Supporting Actor nominations. Torn's character shares the same name as the man who gave James Bond those cute and exciting gadgets, which is "Q".
"Wonder Boys" is the first film directed by Curtis Hanson, who hit gold with "L.A. Confidential" a few years ago. Screenwriter Steve Kloves writes a smart and intelligent story here and places the funny moments with some perfect timing. Photographer Dante Spinotti ("Heat", "L.A. Confidential", "The Insider") provides the movie with great views of the campus during the fall and winter seasons. The movie's theme song, "Things Have Changed", written and sung by the legendary Bob Dylan, is great to listen to and deserves an Oscar for it.
Overall, this film is the best college movie made since John Landis' classic comedy spoof/satire, "Animal House". This movie is "Animal House" with much better morals and doesn't have the common clichés.