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wonder boys - why did it bomb at the box office?

posted 17 years ago by janusq
47 replies | jump to latest

Why did it bomb at the box office?

Have just caught up with this movie, at a writers' do. As a writer myself, I wonder if the pov was wrong. If the script writer had ignored the book, and written the film script from the pov of James Leer, rather than from the angle of a middle aged man, it might have got a bigger audience - bearing in mind that the average cinema audience is young. For myself, told of a film about the 'journey' of a middle aged man suffering from all the stock problems, or one about the 'journey' of a creative writing student who is wondering about his sexuality, and is obsessed with death - I would opt for the student's story every time. To me personally, all the great parts in this film were the black comedy parts played out around Toby McGuire - who I thought gave a stunning and under-rated performance. As did Downey, too.

Does anyone else agree? (I'm quite a bit older than James, by the way).

[–] silvergirl606 17 years ago

I think it's possible that it might have done (a bit) better at the box office that way. But it would have been a mistake. All the great narration comes from Chabon's brilliant words in the book. I think Grady Tripp is a great character, and I would never want to change the POV. I think Grady is at least as interesting as James, if not more so.

Plus, I've met the man Tripp is based on, and he's a hell of a character.

[–] rochestersweetie 17 years ago

I was actually going to post the subject and you beat me to the punch. I have been asking myself this question over and over again. I think maybe the release date...I think the release was Feb 2000...and many movies in that Winter didnt do well. I think Erin Brokovich, if my memory serves me right, was the only movie to really score well in the first quarter of 2000.

However, Wonder Boys is an excellent film.

One of Michael Douglas' best performances. And he's got tons of great performances. Its too bad he never got the recognition for this movie that he so deserved. I have watched this one over and over again and its still timeless. :)

[–] Phandora 17 years ago

I do not care for the box office really. I just thought it was an amazing film.

This is Mrs. Wetherby Peepahpou Sr. speaking! Fear me! FEAR ME!
Feb. 25th, 2008.

[–] luvthief 17 years ago

Which do you want to see ?:

1. The new Michael Douglas movie.

2. A great new indie film starring Michael Douglas.

3. One of Michael Douglas's best performances.

None of the above for me, and the problem is you know who.

Just my take on it.

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[–] AllieMDA 9 years ago

I am far from a fan of Michael Douglas - but that makes him perfect for the role of Grady Tripp. The character is supposed to be unlikable.

[–] jg67 17 years ago

They didn't know how to market it and it fell between the cracks. Even after the glowing reviews and a re release it failed to catch on with general audiences. I don't care, I found it.

http://imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=5642503

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] naveron 17 years ago

I remember when the movie was released, the movie critic for my local paper (Peter Howell -- Toronto Star -- not to mention any names) gave it a scathing review. I went to see it anyway (since I don't put much stock in his reviews) and thought it was great! So for some reason the critics decided to pan it, and people stayed away.

They tried re-releasing it about a year later because no one could figure out why it did so badly.

[–] Die_Harderer 16 years ago

That critic didn't like it, but critics most certainly did not pan it, it has a 70 something % on Rottentomatoes.com, and that's a pretty good number for a film.

There are things that go bump in the night, and we are the ones who bump back!

[–] zoliloz 17 years ago

poor marketing...and the title....

i know personally i would never want to watch a movie called "wonder boys"....it sounds like so cheesed up super hero comedy...starring some young up and coming adam sandler/will ferrell wanna be...thats all i could picture when i heard the title, my father agreed, we both <i>knew</i> we weren't going to see this movie....and by some chance we did....it has since become one of our favourite movies to just spend some quality time together to, and it's also one of our most quoted..."go home to your mother vernon"

[–] jg67 16 years ago

I really do not understand why people are so concerned with how popular a movie or song is.

The historical influence of Entertainment Tonight. 25 years ago the average Joe couldn't tell you ten movies he ever saw...let alone the top 10 grossers last weekend.

..I'd go to middle earth and look for Unspoiled Monsters. Then move to the country.

[–] Panterken 16 years ago

doing poorly at the box office is almost a compliment these last few years...if you notice the tons of sequels that get greenlighted of originals that weren't even that good (or just plain horrible for that matter) to begin with. Prime examples: Jumper, Transformers...

I'm having a hard time pinpointing exactly why people are obsessed with lists and getting their good taste confirmed by a movie's popularity and critical acclaim. But I confess that even I, realizing the imaginary value of such numbers, find myself upset when mediocre movies get voted in the top 250 and excellent movies don't get the attention they deserve.

Point is, even though it is a means to no end, I can understand when people get upset seeing how poorly good taste is rewarded. For instance, Unbreakable never got a sequel greenlighted b/c of poor performance, while it's certainly (objectively speaking even) accomplished, using the style of an European indie movie to adapt a slow moving story about superheroes, bravely leaving out the third act. A shame...

...I am lost, I'm no guide, but I'm by your side...

[–] Die_Harderer 16 years ago

Well said, but wait....Jumper is getting a sequel?

There are things that go bump in the night, and we are the ones who bump back!

[–] thethirdman49 16 years ago

Panterken, I agree with your views... Along with lists, popularity and critical acclaim, let's add imdb ratings and star ratings. All these things are nonsense. They mean nothing and they don't change what a film is... It's petty politics and, in this day in age, with America's pathetic cultural values and lack of appreciation of art, the box office flops are, indeed, a compliment... The ideal is to see a film in a state of virginity and, if you do love it, it should happen by total accident... Then discuss the film on its merits, rather treating it like an athletic competition.

And I liked Unbreakable.

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[–] tstraton 16 years ago

Screw the critics..screw the box office. This was an OUTSTANDING Movie. Most of my friends who saw it felt likewise. Very good soundtrack also.

[–] HumanFundRecipient 16 years ago

Wonder Boys as a title made sense to me, wickerman, and I haven't read the book. If I remember correctly, the Michael Douglas character had a novel that had great acclaim. There was a chance that Tobey Maguire's character would have the same thing with his manuscript in the end. I do agree that the title itself lends itself to a comic-book movie (Spider-Man, Iron Man), but the movie was completely something else.

I'm open! There's just nothing in there!

[–] Movie-Jay 16 years ago

They did test screenings of this movie where my friend used to work as a manager. They got people to go see it who had been given passes to it after coming out of one of Katie Holmes' movies, and they rated Wonder Boys very low.

Of course a pack of teen girls would find it boring.

I think that's why they didn't push it for the Oscars for '99 and dumped it in February of '00. All because teens wouldn't like it.

Well it's not for them. At least most of them, anyway.

It's a sad state for cinema when such good movies for mature audiences don't have a lick of a chance, all because most retarded audiences only every want to see horror/sci-fi/action/comedies.

Dramedies don't take in anything anymore. They're hard to sell because if you make a really funny trailer, people will be let down when they figure out it's not just a stupid comedy.

Too bad, it's such an enjoyable movie in every way.

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[–] Rorsach 15 years ago

Because its a brilliant film, and those aren't usually powerful at the Box Office.

[–] cellery 15 years ago

Well the posters are all really cheesy. The one with all the characters grinning like saps, or the one with Douglas peering over his red specs like a big sap are a real put off. A poster with douglas in th epink robe smoking a joint, maguire looking glum and twirling his gun and downy jnr looking cool but a bit weird would have given a more accurate feel of the movie and drawn a hell of a lot more folk into the cinema.