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Review

One man's quest for personal redemption proves to be an unusually rewarding journey in the captivating dramatic comedy Wonder Boys, an intelligent, sardonic character study boasting a career performance by Douglas in the central role. Based on the novel by Michael Chabon, and brilliantly adapted by Steve Kloves, this wondrous mixture of satire and introspection takes place over the course of one weekend, but has all the wisdom and resource of a lifetime. Douglas is Professor Grady Tripp, whose life is in a bit of disarray. He hasn't finished a novel in seven years, his wife has just walked out on him, and the married woman with whom he's involved is pregnant. When his editor arrives expecting a finished work, it sets in motion a series of comic escapades that are ripe with the seeds of self-discovery. Douglas is a marvel as the disheveled Tripp, whose world-weariness and humor the actor wears like a glove. Douglas has never opened himself up to such an extent, and gives a mature, exciting performance. The ensemble cast is equally extraordinary. Maguire gives another intuitive portrayal as one of Tripp's students, a talented writer who Tripp mentors; Downey is just right as Tripp's gay editor who does a little mentoring of his own; and McDormand is terrific as Tripp's mistress, the university's chancellor who faces her own crisis of conscience. A dazzling entertainment.