Film Snail

6.8

Wonder Boys

R·2000·111m

Comedy

Drama

Comedy

Drama

Summary

Grady is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years—not since he wrote his award winning 'Great American Novel' 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.

Cast

Michael Douglas

Grady Tripp

Tobey Maguire

James Leer

Frances McDormand

Sara Gaskell

Robert Downey Jr.

Terry Crabtree

Katie Holmes

Hannah Green

Rip Torn

Richard Knox

Vernon Hardapple

Jane Adams

Oola

Michael Cavadias

Miss Sloviak

Richard Thomas

Walter Gaskell

Alan Tudyk

Sam Traxler

Philip Bosco

Emily's Father

George Grizzard

Fred Leer

Kelly Bishop

Amanda Leer

Bill Velin

Officer Pupcik

Charis Michelsen

Carrie

Yusuf Gatewood

Howard

June Hildreth

Emily's Mother

Elisabeth Granli

Emily (photo)

Richard Hidlebird

Hi-Hat Bouncer

Screamer

Poe

Bingo O'Malley

Wordfest Party Guest

Patricia Cray

Wordfest Party Guest

Marita Golden

Wordfest Party Guest

Victor Quinaz

Wordfest Party Guest

James Ellroy

Wordfest Party Guest

Lenora Nemetz

Wordfest Party Guest

Tracey D. Turner

Wordfest Party Guest

James Kisicki

Wordfest Party Guest

Rob McElhenney

Student

Anika Bobb

Student

Katherine Sweeney

Student

Katrina M. Faessel

Student (uncredited)

John W. Iwanonkiw

Father at Hospital (uncredited)

Sean King

Student (uncredited)

David Lean

Student (uncredited)

Jackson Nunn

Night Club Dancer (uncredited)

Sandy Slicker

Woman in Forum (uncredited)

Andrew Zehner

Student (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Curtis Hanson

Novel

Michael Chabon

Screenplay

Steve Kloves

Reviews

narrator56

February 8, 2021

I have to believe I saw this movie a year or two after it came out, but I had no feelings of deja vu as I watched it, so perhaps not. I usually have very little patience for movies about writers because I am one, and I get tired of them bringing up writers’ block, which I don’t believe exists, or else they have the character become wildly successful in record time. There are a lot of struggling actresses and musicians and waitresses in movies, but writers often get fast-track succes.

Anyway, I wander off topic. I enjoyed the movie with its range of quirky characters, and minor plot twists. There are only a couple of two-dimensional characters; the rest are given depth, even a few who don’t have a lot of screen time. It shows what can be achieved with a good ensemble cast and a decent script.