Writers are fascinating creatures. The process of writing
something, whatever, a book, a short story, it's a complicated process. And a
lonely, sometimes dispiriting one. The reward is the pride of having brought
something into the world which would never have existed without you. Writers
are secretive, egoist, jealous and deeply, deeply insecure about their work and
their abilities. Having had writing ambitions since the first time I realized,
years ago, all you needed to write was a pen, some paper and an idea, and
having been around others who hold such ambitions too, I am familiar with the
psychology of this weird clan of people. And WONDER BOYS is one of those rare
films, (like THE SQUID AND THE WHALE) that get it perfectly right.
It deals with a middle-aged creative writing professor
(which, along with journalism, is something many writers do as a sort of front,
a day job to maintain the illusion of standard working hours), called Grady
Tripp (Michael Douglas, transcendent), who is stuck in a rut. His wife is
leaving him, he is almost constantly on drugs, he is having an affair with the
chancellor of his college, who is the wife of the Head of the English Dept, his
last novel THE ARSONIST'S DAUGHTER (very cool name) was a tremendous critical
success, but that was seven years ago and the follow-up is a 2700 page (and
counting) behemoth which he has no idea how to end.
Into this mess comes severely depressed, compulsive liar,
genius young aspiring writer James Leer (Tobey Maguire, mesmerizing) who takes
Grady on a surprisingly fucked-up weekend, involving dead dogs, weed, Marilyn
Monroe's wedding jacket, several manuscripts, a transvestite, a stolen car, the
stolen car's angry owner who doesn't like being called Vernon, and a literary festival.
I hope this doesn't make it sound like an art film, or a
film only for lit buffs. The film benefits from a psychotically brilliant
screenplay, which is one of the best I have EVER seen. Line after exceptional
line. Sample this.
Grady: - He said some things that led me to believe that the
car was his.
Crabs: - Such as?
Grady: - "That's my car, you motherfucker!"
The acting dept is outstanding. Michael Douglas steals the
show with an understated, full of insecurities, trying his best not to let his life
fall apart. Tobey is unexpectedly good, mysterious and very weird. Frances
McDormand is exquisite as Douglas' love interest, who is unwilling to wait
forever. Also of note is Douglas' gay editor Crabs, played by Robert Downey Jr.
with his trademark ebullience.
A damn near-perfect dramedy, a fantastic character study,
this is to writers what ALMOST FAMOUS was to rockstars.
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