Wonder Boys (2000)
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81% of critics liked it
(124 reviews) -
78% of users liked it
(39,115 ratings)
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 single following his divorce from his third wife; after publishing an acclaimed… More 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 single 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. Based on the novel by Michael Chabon, The Wonder Boys also features Robert Downey Jr., Rip Torn, and Richard Thomas. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Curtis Hanson
- Written By
- Steve Kloves
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Nov 8, 2000 Wide
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, Variety
Michael Douglas gives the best perfromance of his career (to be remembered at Oscar time) in this screwball comedy about a college professor who's pushed into maturity by forces beyond his control; a well-acted coming-of-age saga for adults.
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, Time Out
Wonder Boys digresses so entertainingly, you forget how quickly Grady got into the mess he's in, and can't imagine where we might be headed.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Get going, you laggards.
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Susan Stark, Detroit News
World-weary has never been funnier or more fascinating than in Kloves' hands.
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Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
It's an often-wondrous comedy, just as rich and surprising as L.A. Confidential but considerably less dark.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Michael Douglas
as Grady Tripp
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Tobey Maguire
as James Leer
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Frances McDormand
as Sara Gaskell
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Robert Downey Jr.
as Terry Crabtree
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Katie Holmes
as Hannah Green
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Richard Thomas
as Walter Gaskell
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Rip Torn
as Q
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Philip Bosco
as Hank Winters
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Jane Adams (II)
as Oola
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Richard Knox
as Vernon Hardapple
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Michael Cavadias
as Antonia Sloviak
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Alan Tudyk
as Sam Traxler



