Alan Tudyk, Frances McDormand, George Grizzard

Grady Tripp is a professor/writer living in Pittsburgh who is struggling with writer's block. Whilst doing this, he also manages to get the chancellor pregnant. In the meantime, he and a college stude...( read more  read more... )nt, James Leer are trying to find a rare jacket once owned by Marilyn Monroe, and a college girl, Hannah Green boarding with Grady has a bit of a crush on him.

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81% liked it

34,195 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

121 critics

R, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Curtis Hanson

Release Date: November 8, 2000

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DVD Release Date: March 13, 2001

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Stats: 1,523 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,523)


  • September 14, 2009
    A really good little indie film, i think its my favorate Douglas film. Tobey Maguire isn't even a little bit annoying, so it can't be bad eh!
  • January 23, 2009
    "Undependable. Unpredictable. Unforgettable."

    In this comedy, a middle-aged man juggles his problems with women, literature, and a career, while a younger man chases the artifact of his dreams. Pittsburgh college professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is currently sing...( read more)le following his divorce from his third wife; after publishing an acclaimed first novel, Grady has been working on a follow-up, but he's been sidelined by a severe case of writer's block. Grady has more than his writing career to think about; his affair with one of the (married) chancellors at the University of Pittsburgh (Frances McDormand), has resulted in her pregnancy, while Hannah (Katie Holmes), a student boarding at Grady's house, has developed a crush on him. While Grady is obsessed with his book, one of his students (Tobey Maguire) has an obsession of his own: finding a jacket once owned by Marilyn Monroe.

    Review
    Michael Douglas reminds us all that despite having been in nothing but tosh for a decade or so, he is still a pretty good actor. He plays Grady, a college professor who's midlife crisis reaches a climax on the weekend his wife leaves him, his editor is in town and his mistress has some big news. Highly enjoyable comedy-drama, with an excellent supporting cast (particularly Tobey Maguire). Not life-changing, but well worth a look.
  • January 21, 2009
    Michael Douglas plays Professor Grady Tripp who is grappling with his difficult second novel, when an enigmatic student and his drug addled publisher take him on a journey of self discovery over one surreal weekend. Probably best described as Fear And Loathing for the leather elb...( read more)ow patch set, The Wonder Boys is a stoner film with a difference. Sometimes when a writer writes about a writer writing, it can be horribly pretentious and self indulgent. But sometimes, if done with the right level of wit and self awareness, it can be a hugely enjoyable diversion; Adaptation is one example and this is another. It does skirt around the borders of self indulgence, but Douglas has never been less obnoxious and his supporting cast, particularly Robert Downey Jr in his familiar guise as likable self-absorbed hedonist are all good fun. The dialogue makes a decent fist of emulating the witty banter of the screwball comedies of the golden age and although it does descend into the usual feelgood sappiness by the conclusion, it takes you on an refreshingly offbeat ride along the way.
  • December 28, 2008
    First indication this will not be the gut buster it is advertised as is director Curtis Hanson. Thrillers, yes. Comdey, no.
  • October 13, 2008
    Starting out somewhat slow and uncertain where it wants to go, this movie about an author / professor with writer's block while discovering a writing talent, gets better by the minute with a really quirky humor and characters. The acting is good (there is Robert Downey Jr. involv...( read more)ed, duh!), but I wasn't entirely sure what the film was trying to say for a pretty long time. That didn't keep me from being amused, especially by the second half.
  • November 19, 2009
    As fangirl I really liked Downy jr./Maguire interaction.
    But as viewer it's really too indipendent in the bad meaning of the word.
  • November 18, 2009
    It starts off strong, but then goes nowhere really quick. Michael Douglas tries his best in this average coming-of-age story, but it's not enough to save the movie. I felt it to be a little bit on the pretentious side, but it had some endearing moments.
  • November 13, 2009
    Best Adapted Screenplay 2000 - Best Actress in a supporting role 2000
  • October 17, 2009



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    The film was originally released in February of 2000 to almost universal praise (especially for the performance of Michael Douglas) but with very little fanfare. Paramount, the film's distributor, decided to re-release the film that November with a different marketing campaign that highlighted its strong supporting cast, and hopes that it would garner some Oscar nominations, despite Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Friedman's acknowledgment that no studio had ever successfully re-released a picture that initially flopped.


  • October 3, 2009
    I have to say that is was good .
    I laughted a lot more than i thought i was going to .
    Frances Mcdormand , Micheal Douglas , Robert Downey Jr. & Tobey Maguire where all very good . I have to admit that Tobey Magiure suprised me in this , i am not ususlay a big fan but he was r...( read more)ealy good .

Critic Reviews


May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Get going, you laggards. full review

January 1, 2000
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Wonder Boys is like a George Cukor movie with a bad head cold -- slow, muffled and vague. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Funny and touching. full review

January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

An emotionally dishonest movie about emotionally dishonest people. full review

View more Wonder Boys reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Wonder Boys Trivia


  • Which Actress Was: -Rachel Dawes In Batman Begins -April Burns In Pieces Of April -Samantha Mackenzie In First Daughter -Pamela McFadden In Phone Booth -Hannah Green In Wonder Boys  Answer »
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