Professor Grady Tripp is about to experience a really bizarre weekend. Having already previously published a successful novel entitled the Arsonist's Daughter, Tripp might seem right at home at the literary festival "Wordfest" that's about to kick off in Pittsburgh at the start of the movie. Unfortunately, he is propelled into a slew of unusual scenarios which leave him little time to celebrate his craft. And yet, in the end, thanks to these unexpected, random occurrences, the university teacher is able to re-capture the inspiration and zeal for writing which he thought was lost.
See, Tripp, who is adeptly played by Michael Douglas, doesn't suffer from writer's block, as one might initially expect. In fact, it's quite the opposite -- his lengthy, most recent effort would shut down a computer, if he ever decided to switch from his trusty typewriter. But he needs to regain the passion. Tripp is an unkempt character, a man who revels in intellectual pursuits but has lived long enough to allow cynicism to cloud his outlook on life. Which is not to say he isn't trying. Having recently split with his wife, he realizes he wants to take his affair with the pregnant wife (Frances McDormand) of the chancellor (Richard Thomas) to the next level, but isn't sure how to escape the routine ruts he has forged over the years.
That's where a couple of offbeat students come in. By hanging out with James Leer (an awkward Tobey Maguire) and Hannah Green (Katie Holmes), some changes are about to occur in Grady's life. James, a perpetually lying aspiring writer, becomes a case which Tripp will take head on. Hannah has a crush on her eccentric mentor, yet still cares enough to be brutally honest with him when critiquing his latest novel. Meanwhile, Tripp's homosexual editor Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) has flown out to the festival in the hopes of finally catching a glimpse of his new book.
All of these rich and dynamic characters prove helpful to Grady's journey towards self-discovery, and Douglas ably anchors the adventure clad in a pink bathrobe and smoking pot. Wacky scenes unfold incredulously in Wonder Boys, including an unexpected method of dealing with an angry canine; a strange transient who jumps in front of cars then sits on the hood, leaving a butt mark; the theft of a sweater originally owned by Marilyn Monroe; and a transvestite who isn't afraid to tell it like it is.
The film is directed by Curtis Hanson, who seems at home depicting the oddities and enigmas of life. Set against drab winter weather and offering several big laughs, Wonder Boys is a compelling movie that shows how sometimes, in trying to help people who we think need assistance, we're also inadvertently helping ourselves in the process.
