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Wonder BoysRating:
Release Date: 01 April, 2003 Retail Price: $14.98 OUR Price: $9.98 You SAVE: $5.00! Cast: Complete Cast (12 total) |
Wonder Boys Reviews
A good, smart, funny movie
As soon as I walked out of the theater I declared that I had to own a copy of this movie. I had to wait a long time for it to be released to DVD (it was in theaters in late winter but they didn't put it to DVD till almost a year later...probably hoping to capitalize on awards' season reviews and recommendations). It was well worth the wait.
It is a shame that this film was overlooked with the awards. I think that the timing of the release factored in but maybe it just appeals to some people (like me) more than others. The entire ensemble does a great job.
I just rewatched it and I still enjoy it after at least 6 viewings. It would make a wonderful addition to your video collection, especially if you are a Michael Douglas fan. (And having a Pittsburgh connection helps too...the movie really captured a lot of the essence of Pittsburgh even with the weather when there is snow on the ground, the sun is peeking through and it is raining all at the same time!). It is just a good movie all around and should appeal to viewers who enjoy smart films.
There are just truly funny scenes and some really touching parts. What a wild journey these characters find themselves on over the span of just one weekend. I think the best part is that it isn't non stop action and things don't get so out of the realm of possibility. It still retains a good touch of believability, even as some pretty unbelievable things happen.
Pick up the soundtrack while you are at it. Bob Dylan's "Things Have Changed" is great (and it recieved an Oscar). It is mostly a CD to just kick back and relax to.
Funny, Intelligent, Quirky, and Genuine
I am a native Pittsburgher and have known professors of creative writing at the Universities there, and let me tell you that the makers of "Wonder Boys" have captured the real McCoy here perfectly!
This is the absolute best performance of Michael Douglas's career in my opinion. He captures the inner-essence of over-the-hill (but in denial about it) Grady Tripp and lets us, the viewer, really crawl around in this character's skin like few other movies I've ever watched, particularly for a comedy film. As I watched this movie, I didn't see Michael Douglas playing a role. Rather, I was watching Grady Tripp and I was involved in his life.
This isn't your typical Hollywood movie, nor it is a formulaic comedy either. There are few artificial sets here. The locales are real - I know, I live there. The houses are real, the interiors are real Pittsburgh-style homes, the dreary, slushy rain pouding down on snow-covered lawns is 100% Pittsburgh climate. The bars are truly that dingy and smoky; the streets that narrow and claustrophobic; the skies that gray and overcast.
I love that this smart little comedy shows a sophisticated side to the overall Proletariat, working-class city. It's true: Pittsburgh has a very prestigious and vibrant cultural vibe and there are very many truly unique and colorful characters living there, much like Grady Tripp. From my personal experiences, I would have to attest that writer Michael Chabon really is from Pittsburgh or he could have never written such truly genuine Pittsburgh-esque characters. Even though the actors aren't, they sure feel like Pittsburghers to me.
There are all kinds of comedies out there. Some smart and others stupid. Smart comedies tend to try a little too hard in my opinion to be smart and end up coming off as smug or arrogant. Woody Allen's comedy films sometimes come off this way. But Wonder Boys walks this fine line carefully and never talks down to the audience. These characters aren't showing off, and the brilliantly subtle screenplay seems so naturalistic that at times you simply forget that you're watching a movie at all.
I wish there were many more comedy films being made these days of this level of quality, originality, and intelligence. Sadly, Wonder Boys is a rarity. I cherish it nonetheless and applaud it for walking such a narrow path of perfection.
Take it from an educated Pittsburgher - Wonder Boys is the real thing! I loved this movie and can't sing its praises high enough. I think you will too.
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