If it slipped under your radar in the theaters, like it did mine, then please see it. Every person (including those whom I've forced) who has seen this movie has loved it without exaggeration.
Michael Douglas is the star, in the truest sense of the word. Though he usually possesses a kind of creepy energy on film and also when discussing his marriage to Catherine, he is just plain likable in this movie. I think it's the affection this movie can generate is what raises it from "good" to "great." Every character in this movie is sympathetic (except possibly for John-Boy as the pretentious head of the English Department). That is really saying something where seemingly every film contains a cartoony villain or antagonist.
(The same COULD be said of "The Royal Tannenbaums" but all but Hackman's characters are 0- or 1-dimensional relative to these in "Wonder Boys.")
I'm glad I bought the DVD - even though there aren't any twists or surprises at the end that promote a 2nd viewing to understand what just happened (like "Memento" or "The Usual Suspects") and the DVD doesn't have alternate endings or supplemental material (like "Se7en" or both versions of "Planet Of The Apes"). But watching this always puts me in a good mood; I watch it with friends, and loan it to friends. I'm just very careful to make sure the disc is returned promptly.
Michael Douglas is the star, in the truest sense of the word. Though he usually possesses a kind of creepy energy on film and also when discussing his marriage to Catherine, he is just plain likable in this movie. I think it's the affection this movie can generate is what raises it from "good" to "great." Every character in this movie is sympathetic (except possibly for John-Boy as the pretentious head of the English Department). That is really saying something where seemingly every film contains a cartoony villain or antagonist.
(The same COULD be said of "The Royal Tannenbaums" but all but Hackman's characters are 0- or 1-dimensional relative to these in "Wonder Boys.")
I'm glad I bought the DVD - even though there aren't any twists or surprises at the end that promote a 2nd viewing to understand what just happened (like "Memento" or "The Usual Suspects") and the DVD doesn't have alternate endings or supplemental material (like "Se7en" or both versions of "Planet Of The Apes"). But watching this always puts me in a good mood; I watch it with friends, and loan it to friends. I'm just very careful to make sure the disc is returned promptly.