More Everything!

Stop looking so smug!!!

She was a junkie for the printed word. Lucky for me, I manufactured her drug of choice. ~ Grady Tripp

Wonder Boys is a pleasant film. But, I am not really using ‘pleasant’ as a compliment, more like an apathetic desciption. It sort of floats around from one nice scene to another. Everyone in it does a good job and seems to be having fun and then it’s over and you feel nice and warm and happy that you watched it.

The film follows an English Professor at a small liberal arts college in Pittsburgh through a few hectic days in his life as he deals with his literary agent who is hounding him to finish writing a follow-up book to his fame making masterpiece, an affair with the Dean’s wife, and watching over a brooding student who is probably a better writer than he is.

That being said, I feel like there was a really good film in there trying to get out. You have all of the right components: Great Lead Actors (Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand), really great supporting actors (Robert Downey, Jr., Tobey Macguire), circa-2000 Katie Holmes, a great Director, Curtis Hanson, following-up his greatest critical and commercial succes (L.A. Confidential), a top-notch writer, Steve Kloves, a great cinematographer, and much more.

All of these components should be able to craft a really great film. Instead, we end up with a pleasant film that just moves through its paces and gets from the beginning to the end. I am not sure where it went wrong. I imagine that with talent like that both in front and behind the camera, there was a severe shortage of constructive criticism on this project. I mean, who is going to second guess Curtis Hanson? Or Scott Rudin? Or Steve Kloves? And then this is what you end up with. Which, surprising enough, is still better than 90% of the other films that came out that year! It still just that it feels too comfortable for its own good.

I can’t help think about the what could-have-beens! How about a scene showing what went on in the bedroom with Downey, Jr. and Maguire. Or a scene building some tension when they are at Tripp’s soon-to-be ex in-law’s house. Or a scene that makes Katie Holme’s character seem talented or wise beyond her years, why should Tripp listen to her advice? Or or or or…I feel like I could go on and on and on. I can see myself watching this film again every few years and trying to challenge myself as to what I would have done differently. But, that is exactly what Netflix is for! DISCARD.