Wonder Boys
The best thing about this movie is that I skipped out of work early to see it.
Michael Douglas stars as a self-absorbed college professor having an affair with Frances McDormand. (Miss McDormand's exceptional acting ability is squandered in a pathetically small role.) Mr. Douglas's role is not as smarmy as his usual choices, but the character is still irritating.
Toby McGuire plays one of the professor's students. I have often felt Mr. McGuire to be an acquired taste. He always brings a certain wide-eyed idiot savant quality to his roles. This character isn't much different except you really want to slap him upside the head.
The plot boils down to Mr. Douglas trying to finish a second novel after the huge success of his first book. He befriends Mr. McGuire who appears to have an incredible writing talent of his own. There was a some stuff about shooting a dog, stealing a jacket that belonged to Marilyn Monroe and a transvestite traveling with tuba in a case covered with cow hide but I don't recall those being too interesting or important. (They were details that I'm sure were of interest in the book upon which this movie is based. On screen, such details are merely tedious.)
Richard Thomas plays Miss McDormand's husband for no reason other than inspiring "Good night John Boy" jokes. Robert Downey, Jr. (pre-rehab, I suppose) plays a book editor for no other reason than to delight us with a shirtless scene. Pretty hot for a drug addict. Katie Holmes (of Dawson's Creek fame) plays Mr. Douglas's nubile tenant for no other reason than…..than….. my goodness. Her character was so worthless I can't even think of a joke about her. Now that's sad.
Listen to me: I always advocate skipping out of work early, but have a martini at your favorite bar instead of wasting time on this dreck.
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