Wonder Boys (2000)
Coming Out at 23 February 2000 in theaters.
Comedy, Drama
Wonder Boys is comedy-drama film directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Steve Kloves. An international co-production between the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan, it is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Chabon. Michael Douglas stars as professor Grady Tripp, a novelist who teaches creative writing at a university but has been unable to finish his second novel.
The film was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including locations at Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, University of Pittsburgh, and Shady Side Academy. Other Pennsylvania locations included Beaver, Rochester and Rostraver Township. After the film failed at the box office, there was a second attempt to find an audience with a new marketing campaign and a November 8, 2000 re-release, which was also a financial disappointment.
Professor Grady Tripp is a novelist who teaches creative writing at an unnamed Pittsburgh university. He is having an affair with the university chancellor, Sara Gaskell, whose husband, Walter, is the chairman of the English department in which Grady is a professor. Grady’s third wife, Emily, has just left him, and he has failed to repeat the grand success of his first novel, published years earlier. He continues to labor on a second novel, but the more he tries to finish it the less able he finds himself to invent a satisfactory ending. The book runs to over two and a half thousand pages and is still far from finished. He spends his free time smoking marijuana.
Grady’s students include James Leer and Hannah Green. Hannah and James are friends and both very good writers. Hannah, who rents a room in Grady’s large house, is attracted to Grady, but he does not reciprocate. James is enigmatic, quiet, dark and enjoys writing fiction more than he first lets on.
Director: Curtis Hanson
Writers: Michael Chabon (novel), Steve Kloves
Stars: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, Rip Torn, Richard Knox
Cast:
| Michael Douglas | … | Grady Tripp |
| Tobey Maguire | … | James Leer |
| Frances McDormand | … | Sara Gaskell |
| Robert Downey Jr. | … | Terry Crabtree |
| Katie Holmes | … | Hannah Green |
| Rip Torn | … | Q |
| Richard Knox | … | Vernon Hardapple |
| Jane Adams | … | Oola |
| Michael Cavadias | … | Miss Sloviak |
| Richard Thomas | … | Walter Gaskell |
| Alan Tudyk | … | 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 |
| Krista Dell | … | Party Girl |
| Lucia M. Aguirre | … | Student |
| Tony Amen | … | Businessman in Restaurant |
| Katrina M. Faessel | … | Student |
| John W. Iwanonkiw | … | Father at Hospital |
| Sean King | … | Student |
| David Lean | … | Student |
| Amber Mariano | … | Extra |
| Robert James McMichael | … | Student |
| Jackson Nunn | … | Night Club Dancer |
| Sandy Slicker | … | Woman in Forum |
| Karinzo Thompson | … | Background extra |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia