Wonder Boys (2000)

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writers (WGA):

Michael Chabon (novel)
Steve Kloves (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

Undependable. Unpredictable. Unforgettable.

Plot:

An English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in.

Plot Keywords:

Snow | College Professor | Marijuana | College | Professor

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 14 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	Prof. Grady Tripp
Tobey Maguire	...	James Leer
Frances McDormand	...	Dean Sara Gaskell
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Terry Crabtree
Katie Holmes	...	Hannah Green
Rip Torn	...	Quentin 'Q' Morewood
Richard Knox	...	Vernon Hardapple
Jane Adams	...	Oola
Michael Cavadias	...	Miss Antonia 'Tony' Sloviak
Richard Thomas	...	Walter Gaskell
Alan Tudyk	...	Sam 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lucia M. Aguirre	...	Student (uncredited)
Amber Brkich	...	Extra (uncredited)
Sean King	...	Student (uncredited)
David Lean	...	Student (uncredited)
Robert James McMichael	...	Student (uncredited)
Sandy Slicker	...	Woman in forum (uncredited)

Directed by
Curtis Hanson

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael Chabon		(novel)
Steve Kloves		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ned Dowd	....	executive producer
Lisa Grundy	....	associate producer
Curtis Hanson	....	producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer
Adam Schroeder	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Dante Spinotti

Film Editing by
Dede Allen

Casting by
Mali Finn

Production Design by
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall		(as Jeannine Oppewall)

Art Direction by
Donald B. Woodruff		(as Don Woodruff)

Set Decoration by
Jay Hart		(as Jay R. Hart)

Costume Design by
Beatrix Aruna Pasztor

Makeup Department
Michal Bigger	....	key makeup artist
Kymbra Callaghan	....	makeup artist
Joseph Coscia	....	hair stylist: Mr. Douglas (as Joseph Mathew Coscia)
Aaron F. Quarles	....	key hair stylist
Sasha Quarles	....	hair stylist (as Sacha P. Quarles)
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist: Michael Douglas

Production Management
Pat Rand	....	post-production supervisor
Zane Weiner	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Renee Hill	....	dga trainee (as Renee F. Hill)
Annie Loeffler	....	second second assistant director
Jonathan McGarry	....	second assistant director
Doug Metzger	....	first assistant director (as Douglas C. Metzger)

Art Department
Mark Barill	....	scenic artist
Vincent Borrelli	....	scenic artist
Susan A. Burig	....	graphic designer (as Susan Burig)
John Butler	....	set dresser
Francine Byrne	....	art department coordinator
Dennis Dubart	....	set dresser
Eileen Garrigan	....	scenic artist
Thomas J. Garrigan	....	property assistant (as Thomas Garrigan)
Megan Graham	....	property assistant
Todd Hatfield	....	scenic artist
Gregory Jones	....	head greensman
Eva Kamienska-Carter	....	graphic designer
George Karnoff	....	lead person
Selma Kora	....	property assistant
Gary Kosko	....	assistant art director
Alisa Lumbreras	....	scenic foreperson (as Alisa B. Lumbreras)
Mike Matesic	....	construction location foreperson
Barbie Pastorik	....	set dresser (as Barbara Pastorik)
Troy Alan Peters	....	on-set dresser (as Troy Peters)
Buster Pile	....	construction coordinator
Ray Pivirotto	....	set dresser
Gregory Puchalski	....	scenic artist (as Gregg Puchalski)
Blake Rich	....	scenic artist
Michael G. Richer	....	construction foreman
Jim Schneider	....	set dresser
Charles Stewart	....	property master
Diana Stoughton	....	set dresser
Brian Stultz	....	charge scenic
Joseph Waterkotte	....	construction location foreperson
Robert Buncher	....	greensman (uncredited)
Jim Heastings	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Lauri Mancuso	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Carly Starr Brullo Niles	....	lead man: Los Angeles (uncredited)

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	adr editor (as George Anderson)
Ron Bartlett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Burns	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis Drummond	....	supervising sound editor
Kim Drummond	....	dialogue editor
Jim Emswiller	....	cable person
Kirk Francis	....	sound mixer
David Giammarco	....	supervising sound editor
Galen Goodpaster	....	first assistant sound
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Jonathan Klein	....	supervising foley editor
Karen Minahan	....	assistant sound editor
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
Mark Narramore	....	sound recordist
Andy Potvin	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Joe Schiff	....	assistant sound editor
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer (as Randy K. Singer)
Mark Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mychal Smith	....	boom operator
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Renee Tondelli	....	adr supervisor
Dan Yale	....	foley editor
Mark Yardas	....	dialogue editor
Robin Zacha	....	apprentice sound editor
Sean England	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Scott Blackwell	....	special effects foreman
Peter Haran	....	coordinator: snow effects
Roland Hathaway	....	snow effects technician
Jim Heastings	....	special effects assistant
John D. Milinac	....	special effects coordinator
Ralph Roger Pivirotto	....	special effects assistant (as Ralph Pivirotto)
Mark E. Raymond	....	snow effects technician (as Mark Raymond)
Ray M. Tasillo	....	special effects assistant (as Raymond Tasillo)
Tom von Badinski	....	special effects assistant
Paul Bucciarelli	....	snow effects (uncredited)
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor (uncredited)
Steve Newburn	....	mold department: Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jay Adams	....	digital imaging technician: Cinesite
Ted Andre	....	visual effects compositor
Mike Castillo	....	visual effects compositor
Kevin Clark	....	visual effects editor: Cinesite
Kevin Elam	....	visual effects producer
Lubo Hristov	....	visual effects art director
Bridgitte Krupke	....	visual effects production assistant: Cinesite (as Bridgitte Nance)
Krystine Lankenau	....	rotoscope artist
David Lingenfelser	....	digital compositing supervisor
Craig Mathieson	....	digital compositor: Cinesite
Kama Moiha	....	visual effects compositor
Sean O'Connor	....	visual effects compositor
Jerry Pooler	....	visual effects supervisor: Cinesite
David Rey	....	visual effects compositor
Sean Rourke	....	discreet 4.0 editor
Jerry Sells	....	visual effects compositor
Tony Sgueglia	....	data operator: Cinesite
Jason Sullivan	....	visual effects assistant editor: Cinesite
Jessica Trento	....	visual effects coordinator: Cinesite
Jeffrey Edward Baksinski	....	motion & tracking supervisor: Cinesite (uncredited)
Tim Gibbons	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Fred Jimenez	....	2D technical assistant: Cinesite Hollywood (uncredited)
Kevin LaNeave	....	video editor (uncredited)
Vincent Lavares	....	digital asset manager (uncredited)
Marcel Martinez	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Valerie McMahon	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Frankie 'G' Garbutt	....	stunts (as Frank Garbutt)
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
Kevin L. Jackson	....	stunts (as Kevin LaMont Jackson)
Jimmy N. Roberts	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Glenn Brown	....	second assistant camera
Jarrett Buba	....	rigging electrician
Brian 'Buzz' Buzzelli	....	grip (as Brian Buzzelli)
Daniel Casey	....	video assist operator (as Dan Casey)
Frank Connor	....	still photographer
Will Dearborn	....	camera loader
Thomas Dolan	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Tommy Dolan)
Regis Donehue	....	rigging grip
Gregory L. Edwards	....	dolly grip: "b" camera (as Gregory Edwards)
Ray 'Chazz' Edwards	....	rigging grip (as Ray Edwards)
John Evans	....	electrician
Gregory Farrell	....	chief rigging electrician
Bart Flaherty	....	grip
Jay Fortune	....	gaffer
Tom Gilligan	....	second company grip (as Thomas Gilligan)
David Gurney	....	rigging electrician
Gary Jay	....	camera operator
Billy Kerwick	....	key rigging grip
Dennis Maitland	....	grip
James Malone	....	chief rigging technician (as Jim Malone)
Duane Manwiller	....	additional camera operator
Duane Manwiller	....	additional steadicam operator
Frank McGough	....	electrician
Chris Muchow	....	electrician
Troy Muhammed	....	electrician (as Troy Muhammad)
Lee Nagle	....	rigging grip
Jean-Pierre Nutini	....	rigging electrician
Steve Purcell	....	electrician
Ed Quinn	....	first company grip (as Eddie Quinn Sr.)
Alberto S. Ramos	....	dolly grip (as Albert Ramos)
Kyle Rudolph	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Kyle Rudolph	....	steadicam operator
Keith Seymour	....	grip
Chris Silano	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Peter Simonite	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Andrew Taylor	....	rigging grip
Jeff Vandermolen	....	electrician (as Jeff Vander Molen)
Joseph Viano	....	rigging grip: second company (as Joseph A. Viano)
Jay M. Huntoon	....	video assist operator: blue screen unit (uncredited)
David 'Yoko' Jose	....	grip (uncredited)
Sean Murray	....	electrician (uncredited)
Stephen Purcell	....	electrician (uncredited)
Nick Tallo	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Donna M. Belajac	....	casting associate: Pittsburgh (as Donna Belajac)
Vikki Ferguson	....	location casting assistant
Lindsey Hayes Kroeger	....	casting assistant (as Lindsey Hayes)
Nancy Mosser	....	extras casting (as Nancy Mosser Bailey)
Emily Schweber	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fran Allgood	....	costumer: Mr. Douglas
Diane Collins	....	costumer
Kendall Errair	....	costume supervisor
David Page	....	costumer
Vanessa Vogel	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Stacey S. Clipp	....	assistant film editor: Avid
Rolf Fleischmann	....	first assistant film editor
Adam Hernandez	....	apprentice film editor (as Adam S. Hernandez)
Phil Hetos	....	color timer
Craig Kitson	....	additional film editor
Dana L. Marker	....	negative cutter
John Morrisey	....	assistant film editor
Kacie Haggerty	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Bruce Babcock	....	additional orchestrator
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Konstantinos Christides	....	score coordinator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Norman Dlugatch	....	music technical engineer (as Norm Dlugatch)
Carol Fenelon	....	music supervisor
Robert Fernandez	....	music mixer
Robert Fernandez	....	music recordist
Dominic Gonzales	....	music floor person
Tanya Noel Hill	....	music editor
Johnny Hodges	....	musician: "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"
Thomas Milano	....	supervising music editor
Sujin Nam	....	score coordinator
Jasper Randall	....	scoring coordinator: Christopher Young
Paul Wertheimer	....	music recordist
Christopher Young	....	additional orchestrator
Lars Anderson	....	additional music arranger (uncredited)
Larry Campbell	....	musician (uncredited)
Flavio Motalla	....	score producer (uncredited)
Curt Sobel	....	music editor: temp (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Denny Braun	....	transportation captain (as Dennis J. Braun)
Donald A. Kraus	....	transportation co-captain (as Donald Kraus)
Marc Scott	....	transportation coordinator
Melvin Johnston	....	driver: cast (uncredited)

Other crew
Joshua A. Baker	....	production assistant
Stacy Basil	....	animal trainer (as Stacy M. Basil)
Casey Brown	....	production assistant
Roger Aaron Brown	....	adr voice
Pam Buchignani	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Pat Buckley	....	production assistant
Kenneth Burgomaster	....	synthesizer programmer
Eva Z. Cabrera	....	script supervisor
Nathan Carlson	....	adr voice
June Christopher	....	adr voice
John A. Cohen	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Eben Davidson	....	executive assistant: Mr. Rudin
Raechel Donahue	....	adr voice (as Raechel H. Donahue)
Cameron Douglas	....	production assistant
Terri Douglas	....	adr voice
Dennis Lee Dressler	....	production assistant (as Denny Dressler)
Robert Eckenrode	....	production assistant
Marie Elder	....	production accountant
Ben Famiglietti	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Mark Forbes	....	animal trainer
Melisa Frick	....	production assistant
Donald Fullilove	....	adr voice (as Don Fullilove)
Katy Genovese	....	payroll accountant (as Katy Tatian Genovese)
Jessica E. Giannotta	....	production assistant
Alec Gillis	....	animal replica: "Poe"
Barbara Goodson	....	adr voice
Josh Greenstein	....	production assistant
Nicholas Guest	....	adr voice
Archie Hahn	....	adr voice
Stephen Hough	....	production assistant
Ted Kessler	....	assistant: Mr. Downey
Tim Kessler	....	assistant: Mr. Downey
Bethany Koshinski	....	production assistant
Amy Kovalchick	....	production assistant
Susan A. Lukondi	....	production secretary (as Susan Lukondi)
James A. Mahathey	....	assistant location manager
Caitlin McKenna-Wilkinson	....	adr voice (as Caitlin McKenna)
Catherine Middleton	....	assistant accountant
Jamie Midgley	....	assistant: Mr. Douglas
Lucia Murillo	....	assistant: Mr. Schroeder
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Hope Anne Nathan	....	production assistant
Angelique Palozzi	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Steve Parys	....	assistant location manager
Steve Parys	....	location scout
Phil Proctor	....	adr voice
John Rickard	....	production assistant
Mark Roybal	....	production executive: Scott Rudin Productions
Jeremy Selman	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Judy Sepich	....	location scout
Mary Grace Shaughnessy	....	assistant: Mr. Hanson
Mary Beth Spears	....	first aid (as Mary Beth Spear)
Janice F. Sperling	....	production coordinator
Jeffrey R. Stimmel	....	location manager (as Jeff Stimmel)
Diane Sunderlin	....	assistant production coordinator
Ryan Sweeney	....	production assistant
Fred Tatasciore	....	adr voice
Lora Umphress	....	assistant accountant
David H. 'Wino' Weinstein	....	production assistant (as David H. Weinstein)
Claudette Wells	....	adr voice
Jeanine Wilson	....	first assistant accountant
Tom Woodruff Jr.	....	animal replica: "Poe"
Mike Zemkosky	....	production assistant
Daniel Beals	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jason Brock	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Casey Brown	....	rights and clearances (uncredited)
Shirley Davis	....	production coordinator: additional photography, New York (uncredited)
Graeme Dunlap	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Larry Geyer	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Brendan McFadden	....	intern (uncredited)
Dominic Mecchia	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Deborah Parker	....	location manager: New York (uncredited)
Tony Rudenko	....	computer graphic artist (uncredited)
Julian Ruhe	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Chris Stavrakis	....	location production assistant (uncredited)
R. Dale VanBatenburg	....	safety coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Curtis Hanson Productions
• MFF Feature Film Productions
• Marubeni
• Mutual Film Company
• Paramount Pictures
• Scott Rudin Productions
• Tele-München (TMG)
• Toho-Towa

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Concorde Filmverleih (Germany)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (video)
• New Films International
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Finland
• Toho-Towa
• TriPictures (Spain)
• Warner Bros. (Argentina)
• Warner Bros. (France)

Special Effects

• Cinesite (Hollywood) (visual effects)
• Snow Business International (snow effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  camera equipment provided by
• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• Loop Troop  voice casting
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision Remote Systems  camera systems
• Snow Business International  snow effects
• Sonoton Recorded Music  music
• Sony Music Soundtrax  soundtrack
• Todd-AO Studios  sound re-recording

MPAA:

Rated R for language and drug content.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK | Germany | USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Iceland:L | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The list of famous suicides is taken name-for-name from a list in Kenneth Anger's "Hollywood Babylon II", including the notorious Alan Ladd reference.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Grady's drive away from campus early in the film, and the drive back with James following the chancellor's party, the campus scenes visible through the car windows indicate Grady is driving on several roads simultaneously.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Grady Tripp: "The young girl sat perfectly still in the confessional listening to her father's boots scrape like chalk on the ancient steps of the church, then grow faint, then disappear altogether. She could sense the priest beyond the grate...” On that particular Friday afternoon, last February, I was reading a story to my Advanced Writers' Workshop by one James Leer, Junior Lit major and sole inhabitant of his own gloomy gulag.

Movie Connections:

Features "Route 66" (1960)

Soundtrack:

Philosophers Stone

Author! Author!

I am usually annoyed by films based on novels about novelists. Really, it's like the author couldn't think of anything else to write about. `Write what you know.' That's what the writing instructors tell you. But a novel about a writer makes it seem like writing is all you know. Who, except other writers, would want to read it? The opening scenes of Wonder Boys, however, buried whatever hang-ups I had. This story is less about writing than it is about the tortured souls that produce it.

This film is a departure from anything I've seen before. Really, has there ever been another major studio movie set in Pittsburgh? It's about time. Here's another departure: Wonder Boys triumphs as a character study. How many comedies can claim this? And a great comedy it is. Who can't appreciate the fact that one of the most important characters driving the story is a blind dog that's locked in a car trunk for most of the movie?

Not to be upstaged by said dog, Michael Douglas turns in his best performance since Wall Street. Douglas plays the ultimate tortured soul, Grady Tripp, a much-respected, award-winning, and soon-to-be divorced University of Pittsburgh writing prof, wrestling as many artists do with a novel that refuses to end. One of his students, James Leer (Tobey Maguire in his best performance ever), is trying his hardest to be a poor, struggling artist and is looking to be inspired. James all but cons his way into Grady's life and the scenes between these two crackle with life. James has his own novel he's finished, and Grady's editor, Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey, Jr.), believes he's found a true `wonder boy,' the next big thing. The film then dangles these questions in front of us: How will Grady find a balance between helping James, fulfilling James' expectations of his hero, and dealing with the fact that this kid is On The Verge while he himself is on page 1163 and counting? Always poignant and dazzling, the film's writer never strays from his characters in favor of overdramatization. Many opportunities exist and Mr. Kloves always wisely passes.

Grady's relationship problems are also piling up. The story takes place over the course of one weekend, and Grady is faced with one dilemma after another involving his married girlfriend, Sara (Frances MacDormand), the school's chancellor, his boarder and student Hannah (Katie Holmes, who will shine once she finds that good, meaty starring role), and of course his estranged wife (played by no one at all).

There's a lot to love about Wonder Boys and I assure you I've merely grazed the surface. The real reason I went to see it, though it looked interesting enough from the trailers, was Curtis Hanson. I liked parts of L.A. Confidential enough to see what other tricks he has up his sleeve. I must say that his work here is much more accomplished than Confidential, despite the fact that most critics thought it deserved to beat Titanic a couple of years back. I hope this gives you an idea of just how good I think Wonder Boys is. Unfortunately, this is an early-year, low-budget comedy about scholarly people, and Mr. Hanson will most likely be recognized for the mystery thriller that came before it.

I want to be wrong, so don't miss Wonder Boys.

Grade: A