Michael Douglas gives one of his best performances inyears in "Wonder Boys," the new film from director Curtis Hanson. Douglasplays Grady Tripp, a down-on-his-luck, pot-smoking English professor and writerwhose life is in shambles. He can't finish his current novel, his wife justwalked out on him and he has been having an affair with a colleague's wife whonow is pregnant. To top it off, his agent (Robert Downey, Jr.) flies in to checkon Tripp's progress on his novel.

The film depicts one weekend in Tripp'slife. Amid his troubles, Tripp gets to know James Leer (Toby Maguire), a studentwhose work is mocked by classmates. Tripp be-gins to take care of Leer,attempting not only friendship but fatherhood. In turn, Leer helps his professordiscover not only his lost talent, but something more important -himself.

Based on the novel by Michael Chabon, "Wonder Boys" is asurprisingly witty, warm film. Hanson, who brought us such suspense films as"L.A. Confidential" and "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," succeedsagain with "Wonder Boys" by giving it a rough feel through hand-heldcamerawork and a marvelous cast of characters. The screenplay, by Steve Kloves("The Fabulous Baker Boys"), is both funny and thought-provoking. In a timeof overdone special-effects movies, this film is a much-neededalternative.

This movie israted R. All those under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.