ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Movie Review: “Wonder Boys”
by KYLE HORTON
Correspodent
“Wonder Boys” is the story of a perpetually
cynical writer/professor at a New England lib
eral arts college who finds himself steeped in a
mid-life crisis in the middle of the winter term.
The entire movie takes place over a weekend
in which Grady Tripp’s, played by Michael Dou
glas, wife leaves him, his gjrlfiiend finds out she
is pregnant and his editor swings into town with
a tuba-playing transvestite. The film could best
be described as a coming-of-age story, only the
main character is fifty years old.
“Wonder Boys” portrays a weekend in the
life of Grady Tripp that will ultimately change
his entire life. Having written a critically ac
claimed novel seven years earlier, Grady is ob
sessed with writing a masterpiece follow-up. He
suffers from a sort of reverse writer’s block: he
can't stop writing aimlessly.
Douglas gives one of the best performances
of his career as Grady Tripp. The role proves that
Douglas’ range as an actor is not limited to the
cold businessman routine with which he is most
commonly identified. The prime example of his
lizard in a suit persona is his Academy Award
winning portrayal of Gordon Gekko in the 1987
Oliver Stone drama “Wall Street” Playing Grady,
Douglas stretches his legs a bit and ventures into
a character who is sentimental and emotionally
troubled.
Through much of the film, Grady is accom
panied by an exceptionally talented student, James
Leer, played by Tobey Maguire, who is also a
compulsive liar. Leer remains stoic in except for
the occasional smile and laughter at inappropri
ate times. Maguire has graduated from the wide-
eyed schoolboy gaze of “The Cider House Rules"
and to a creepy stare that leaves the audience won
dering what he is actually thinking.
“Wonder Boys” begins with Grady’s attempt
to teach a writing workshop after his wife has left
him. That evening he attends a party at the home
of his girlfriend, played by Frances McDormand,
and her husband, who happens to be Grady’s boss.
Over the course of the weekend, Grady joins Leer
in a series of mishaps which involve a mock as
sassination, several thefts and a lot of marijuana.
The film Is directed by Curtis Hanson, who
also directed the Academy Award winning "L. A.
Confidential.” Hanson’s effort to depart from the
malicious, plot-driven material of “L.A. Confi
dential” may have been a mistake. “Wonder Boys”
seems to wander aimlessly without giving the
characters enough depth and development.
At its best, “Wonder Boys” is fijtiny, unpre
dictable and affectionate. At its worst, the film
ventures into lackluster slapstick that the audience
would expect fix)m a National Lampoon's com
edy rather than a finely tuned academic comedy.
The plot lines are far-fetched and the characters
underdeveloped but at the very least, it may be
worth the price of a ticket just to see Michael
Douglas cloaked in a flowery pink bathrobe.
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but I’m not very optimistic. 1 really
just don't see big corporations allowing
small stations like us to take away their
listeners. It’s all about the money,” said
sophomore Kristen Bilous.
There has been negative response to
the licensing of LPFM by the National
Public Radio (NPR), National Associa
tion of Broadcasting (NAB) and in Con
gress.
“I think right now the likelihood of
anybody getting it [LPFM] is pretty low,
and 1 say that on the basis of what’s hap
pening in Congress,” said Student Me
dia Coordinator Bill DiNome
On March 16, NPR requested that the
FCC reconsider delaying the licensing
of LPFM. Kevin Klose, president of
NPR said in a press release that “the
FCC’s current rules threaten to disrupt
existing service to public radio listen
ers, especially those in rural areas
served by translator stations, and blind
or visually-impaired Americans who
utilize radio reading services.”
The FCC responded to the issues with
a statement by Dale Hatfield, chief of
the office of engineering and technol
ogy, and Roy Stewart, chief of mass
media bureau. The statement said that
the radio reading services that inform
the aurally and visually impaired will
not be affected by LPFM according to
FCC testing that has also determined
“that existing stations will not experi
ence harmful interference.”
According to DiNome, the NAB is
bringing cases to court.
“If they haven’t already, they will.
They have already promised to get an
adjunction. NAB is one of the largest
Congressional lobbying organizations
in the country. They are largely accus
ing LPFM of causing interference,"
DiNome said.
The Oxiey Bill was introduced to
the House of Representatives in No
vember of 1999 by Rep. Michael G.
OxIey, and to the Senate in Feb. by
Senator Judd Gregg. The purpose of the
bill is to prevent the FCC from autho
rizing LPFM.
The bill has 158 House co-sponsors
and 23 Senate co-sponsors, seven of
who are Republicans from North Caro
lina.
“There are other problems, too, like
getting the university behind us. Ide
alistically, they would like to. But we
don’t have a broadcast communications
major here. We don’t have the funds to
support it. Without the academic piece
it would mean we would have to pay
for it ourselves. There are ways around
it, but 1 think in many ways the
university’s hands are pretty well tied,”
DiNome said.
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