Wonder Boys

I really enjoyed the film Wonder Boys. I thought the novel was entertaining, but Chabon’s descriptions dragged on unnecessarily. He wrote a very detailed novel, and it was well suited to the big screen. I was worried than the novel was too unrealistic to pull off effectively, but the characters were captivating, and the film actually had a stellar cast.

I also disagree with the assessment of the ending as dubious or out of place with the rest of the story. The story was about a hectic weekend. It was a series of out of control events that were the culmination of bad decisions, many of them made by Grady Tripp. The end of the story was the resolution. The characters in the novel, for their various reasons had wandered from their paths, and the narrative is centered on them finding their way back. If the characters had not finished the novel grounded in a new situation, there would have been no redemption. This would have reduced the story into something meaningless, and turned the characters into caricatures. Tripp is redeemed as a character when he literally and metaphorically lets go of the novel that was holding him back, and does the right thing for the mother of his child. The ending is especially interesting if you view Tripp as an analogue for Chabon himself, and the character’s resolution as Chabon subtextually allowing himself some redemption.

I also think the film contained a clear message about the role of the teacher. Professor Tripp helps his promising writer grad student James Leer become successful. It is important for the end of the story to reveal that the activities of the plot have not been pointless. Tripp's adventure with his student is important because it ultimately helps solve not only Leer's problems, but also Tripp's. That Tripp learns from the experience is an important statement about the relationship between student and teacher.