Wonder Boys. Oh, Wonder Boys. You must remember this picture when it first found its way into theatres? Of course you do! It was that comedy starring Michael Douglas and Elijah Wood. It got really greta reviews and the performances were massively praised and it was nominated for two Oscars and the studio believed in it so much that they released it twice because it flopped the first time and they wanted to give it another chance... Everybody knows Wonder Boys. Don't they? Not ringing a bell, you say? Okay, so Wonder Boys is not a movie that has found its way into the pantheon of popular culture in the way that Dead Poets Society did. The super irritating thing about that concerns the fact Wonder Boys - somewhat similar as it is to that Robin Williams flick - is a far superior movie, horribly underrated in every way and featuring genuinely masterful performances from all of its lead actors. The plot (Michael Douglas teaches creative writing) might seem like business as usual, but this is such a great, watchable and genuinely witty movie that it's only fair - by law - that everyone who somehow forgot that it was a motion picture needs to make it a priority to watch it again. Robert Downey Jr. is in it as well, if that helps? It does? Excellent.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
