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The wonder of it all
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 25, 2000 Writer's block would be a blessing for Grady Tripp. At least then he would have an excuse to end a novel already 10 times its planned length. Like his own shaggy life, Grady has no idea where the story is going. This aimless compulsion costs Grady his wife as Curtis Hanson's odd, appealing Wonder Boys begins. Grady looks like a guy who has been deserted, rumpled and preoccupied, reading class compositions to university students. Seven years earlier, he had the literary world on a string with an award-winning novel. Now he has an editor looking over his shoulder, urging a follow-up book to salvage both careers. His old typewriter must wait. Before Grady takes one more stab at fulfilling his promise, he will spend 48 stoned hours with the strangely gifted student who shot the blind dog of the university chancellor, who is also Grady's lover, who just informed him she is pregnant. Then, there is the stolen Marilyn Monroe jacket, a car that may be stolen, the drunk claiming it is, and a transvestite Amazon needing a ride home. Just as in his novel, Grady's gonzo obstacles never seem to end. Michael Douglas slips into Grady's shabby existence with impressive ease, in a role that amounts to a minor comeback. Douglas' last few performances have been all suits, hairstyle and glands. Wonder Boys lets him play haggard, insecure, a bit paunchy; all those qualities celebrity hasn't allowed in recent years. He also seems inspired by Steven Kloves' immensely literate script, alternately poignant and pointed.
Grady isn't the only wonder boy here, and Douglas isn't the only actor who deserves praise. That student tagging along is James Leer (Tobey Maguire), a superb writing student whose monotone loneliness entrances Grady and the audience. Maguire perfectly portrays this brittle character mildly bedeviled by talent. Maguire seldom blinks when he speaks, a subtle acting decision that captures James' relentless fascination with the world and processing it into words. James is extremely reflexive with his literary skills, even narrating his drunken stupor in third-person voice. Kloves does some of his best screenwriting with this role, since James is a person capable of making casual conversation sound like a spontaneous third draft. Not all of his words are true, but James isn't a compulsive liar; he is a compulsive storyteller. The editor Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) is the wonder boy in the middle, between James' potential and Grady's underachievement. Terry could go either way, either in his career or his bisexual personal life. Downey hasn't appeared so in control of his craft in years; he makes a jerk fairly sympathetic. Most films are fortunate to have one well-defined character, much less three. Wonder Boys goes even farther down the depth chart with small, tell-tale roles for Frances McDormand as Grady's lover/boss, Richard Thomas as her clueless academic husband, and Rip Torn as a puffy, prolific author. Even Katie Holmes (Go) clicks in brief appearances as a concerned graduate assistant. This film is completely different from Hanson's violent burst into legitimacy with L.A. Confidential, yet the director's deft way with serpentine details remains constant. Wonder Boys has the clever calculation for a follow-up Grady should have used, flexing Hanson's strength of storytelling in a fresh, inspiring direction. Wonder Boys has an erratic style that suits its anti-heroes as they stagger through subplots with the woozy assurance of intoxicated party guests. Hanson made a movie of cumulative effect, not one relying on comedy or tragedy of the moment. Moviegoers won't laugh out loud much or cry at the end. Wonder Boys is simply one long, beautifully crafted smile. Wonder Boys
© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.
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