Wonder Boys (2000) Subtitles

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.23.976 FPS

00:02:06.917 --> 00:02:10."The young girl sat perfectly
still in the confessional,

00:02:10.504 --> 00:02:13."listening to her father's
boots scrape like chalk

00:02:13.257 --> 00:02:15."on the ancient steps of the church,

00:02:15.551 --> 00:02:19."then grow faint,
then disappear altogether.

00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:21."She could sense the priest
beyond the grate--"

00:02:21.640 --> 00:02:23.On that particular friday afternoon,

00:02:23.934 --> 00:02:25.last february,

00:02:25.519 --> 00:02:28.I was reading a story to
my advanced writer's workshop

00:02:28.605 --> 00:02:31.by one James Leer,
junior lit major

00:02:31.734 --> 00:02:34.and sole inhabitant
of his own gloomy gulag.

00:02:35.700 --> 00:02:37."She bit the flesh of her lip,

00:02:37.281 --> 00:02:39."closed her eyes, mute."

00:02:44.790 --> 00:02:48.James' stories were about
as sunny as his disposition.

00:02:48.542 --> 00:02:50.I was distracted.

00:02:50.794 --> 00:02:52.Maybe it had something
to do with the fact

00:02:52.921 --> 00:02:54.that my wife had
left me that morning.

00:02:54.965 --> 00:02:56.So. Anyone?

00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:59.Maybe not.
Wives had left me before.

00:02:59.261 --> 00:03:02.- Carrie.
- As usual, James' classmates,

00:03:02.931 --> 00:03:05.aware of a writer's
inherent vulnerability,

00:03:05.225 --> 00:03:09.offered their sensitive,
gentle opinions.

00:03:09.229 --> 00:03:12.I mean, Jesus, what is
it with you Catholics?

00:03:12.191 --> 00:03:15.All right. All right.

00:03:15.402 --> 00:03:17.Let's try to be
constructive here, shall we?

00:03:19.531 --> 00:03:21.Howard, what about you?

00:03:21.533 --> 00:03:23.I hated it.

00:03:23.535 --> 00:03:25.His stories make me
want to kill myself.

00:03:27.790 --> 00:03:30.That's not exactly what I meant
by being constructive, Howard.

00:03:34.880 --> 00:03:37.Yes, Hannah?

00:03:37.490 --> 00:03:39.I think maybe we're
missing the point.

00:03:39.134 --> 00:03:40.Hannah Green.

00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.A talented writer who
rented a room in my house.

00:03:43.138 --> 00:03:46.I knew her to be
insightful, kind,

00:03:46.350 --> 00:03:49.and compulsively clad
in red cowboy boots.

00:03:49.478 --> 00:03:52.I had, in fact, never once
seen her without them.

00:03:52.106 --> 00:03:56.He respects us enough to forget us,
and... that takes courage.

00:03:56.527 --> 00:04:00.Well put, Hannah. And a good
note to end on, I think.

00:04:00.531 --> 00:04:04.Oh, don't forget about
WordFest this weekend.

00:04:04.284 --> 00:04:05.And those of you
who are driving VIPs

00:04:05.994 --> 00:04:07.to the cocktail party this evening

00:04:07.413 --> 00:04:09.should have them
at the chancellor's house

00:04:09.665 --> 00:04:11.no later than 5:30.

00:04:14.503 --> 00:04:17.Thank you for that.
Is he all right?

00:04:20.384 --> 00:04:23.I think so.
How about you?

00:04:23.554 --> 00:04:25.Me? Yeah. Why?

00:04:26.974 --> 00:04:28.Just checking.

00:04:33.564 --> 00:04:36.Turn off the light, please.

00:04:44.324 --> 00:04:46.It felt good to be in the car.

00:04:46.910 --> 00:04:49.Alone. Where I could clear my head.

00:04:54.877 --> 00:04:57.Tonight was the
opening of WordFest,

00:04:57.171 --> 00:04:59.the university's annual
three-day "gabathon"

00:04:59.798 --> 00:05:01.for writers and wanna-bes.

00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:05.My editor, Terry Crabtree,
was flying in for the event.

00:05:05.637 --> 00:05:09.He alone had championed my
last novel, "Arsonist's Daughter,"

00:05:09.683 --> 00:05:12.and its critical success
had put us both on the map.

00:05:12.478 --> 00:05:14.But that was seven years ago,

00:05:14.772 --> 00:05:17.and I still hadn't
finished my follow-up.

00:05:17.775 --> 00:05:20.I knew Terry didn't give
a rat's a***s about WordFest.

00:05:20.277 --> 00:05:23.He was coming to town to get
a look at my long-overdue book.

00:05:25.740 --> 00:05:28.I had to keep him at bay.

00:05:30.954 --> 00:05:34.- Ah, Tripp.
- Crabtree, how are you, my friend?

00:05:34.208 --> 00:05:37.- It's good to see you, Tripp.
- Let me help you with this here.

00:05:37.378 --> 00:05:39.Say hello to my new friend.

00:05:39.671 --> 00:05:42.- Miss Antonia Ss...
- Sloviak.

00:05:42.910 --> 00:05:44.Nice to meet you.
This way.

00:05:45.100 --> 00:05:47.I took the liberty of inviting
Antonia to tonight's festivities.

00:05:47.554 --> 00:05:49.The more the merrier.

00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:51.Terry was telling me
about you on the plane.

00:05:51.225 --> 00:05:52.It was all so interesting.

00:05:52.726 --> 00:05:54.I was just explaining how
a book comes to be published.

00:05:54.812 --> 00:05:57.What you do as a writer,
what I do as an editor.

00:05:57.147 --> 00:06:01.I sweat blood for five years,
and he corrects my spelling.

00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:05.- That's exactly what he said.
- We know each other pretty well.

00:06:05.114 --> 00:06:08.And actually,
it's seven years.

00:06:08.534 --> 00:06:11.You know how many times I've
boarded an airplane just praying

00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.that some gal like her would be
sitting down beside me?

00:06:14.373 --> 00:06:16.- She's a transvestite.
- You're stoned.

00:06:16.625 --> 00:06:19.- She's still a transvestite.
- So, how's the book?

00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:23.Uh, it's... it's fine.
It's done.

00:06:23.549 --> 00:06:27.Well, basically. I g***t a little
tinkering I've still g***t to do.

00:06:27.386 --> 00:06:28.Great!
Great!

00:06:28.804 --> 00:06:31.I was hoping I could get a look
at it sometime over the weekend.

00:06:31.980 --> 00:06:33.It's gonna be a little tough. I'm
at a critical juncture right now.

00:06:33.892 --> 00:06:36.I thought you were
just tinkering.

00:06:36.145 --> 00:06:39.W-Well, I **, but I have little
details I've g***t to work on.

00:06:39.815 --> 00:06:41.I'm not gonna pressure you.
I just g***t off the plane, you know?

00:06:41.942 --> 00:06:44.I mean, I get pressure.
You know? I get--

00:06:44.403 --> 00:06:47.Know what I mean?

00:06:47.531 --> 00:06:51.What the hell in the hootenanny
do you suppose that would be?

00:06:51.410 --> 00:06:54.That would be a tuba.

00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.You didn't actually
purchase this car, did you?

00:07:00.753 --> 00:07:04.No, I g***t it from Jerry Nathan.
He owed me some money.

00:07:04.173 --> 00:07:06.Ah! He owes God money.

00:07:06.258 --> 00:07:08.Including my commission
on that faux novel of his.

00:07:08.802 --> 00:07:10.That perfume you're
wearing, Antonia,

00:07:10.387 --> 00:07:12.that wouldn't happen
to be Cristalle , would it?

00:07:12.347 --> 00:07:14.Um, uh, yes, it is.

00:07:14.725 --> 00:07:17.- How did you know?
- Lucky guess.

00:07:18.854 --> 00:07:20.The WordFest kickoff party

00:07:20.856 --> 00:07:23.was always held at Sara
and Walter Gaskell's house.

00:07:23.942 --> 00:07:27.She was the chancellor, which
meant she oversaw the university.

00:07:27.946 --> 00:07:29.Her husband, Dr. Gaskell,

00:07:29.948 --> 00:07:31.was the chairman
of the English Department,

00:07:31.950 --> 00:07:34.which meant he oversaw me.

00:07:38.415 --> 00:07:40.Isn't that a nice greenhouse?

00:07:40.584 --> 00:07:43.It's Mrs. Gaskell's.
It's her hobby.

00:07:43.128 --> 00:07:45.I thought you were
Mrs. Gaskell's hobby.

00:07:45.214 --> 00:07:48.Piss off, will you, Crabs?
I lost a wife today.

00:07:48.258 --> 00:07:53.You'll find another. She'll be
young, beautiful. They always are.

00:07:57.935 --> 00:08:00.Oh, hello, everyone.
Terry, good to see you again.

00:08:00.896 --> 00:08:03.Chancellor.
Don't you look ravishing.

00:08:05.734 --> 00:08:09.- Oh, oh. Easy.
- I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

00:08:09.321 --> 00:08:10.It's these goddamn shoes.

00:08:10.406 --> 00:08:12.I don't know how anyone
can walk in these things.

00:08:12.366 --> 00:08:15.Practice.

00:08:15.411 --> 00:08:18.- I don't believe we've met.
- Antonia Sloviak.

00:08:18.664 --> 00:08:21.Poe!

00:08:21.458 --> 00:08:24.Poe! Poe!

00:08:24.860 --> 00:08:26.Poe, stop! Poe!

00:08:26.880 --> 00:08:28.That wouldn't be
Walter's dog, would it?

00:08:28.215 --> 00:08:31.- Poe!
- Who's he barking at now?

00:08:31.427 --> 00:08:33.He's still barking
at me. He's blind.

00:08:33.887 --> 00:08:36.Stop this.

00:08:36.390 --> 00:08:38.Honestly.

00:08:38.434 --> 00:08:40.Excuse me, I need to talk to you
for a second, Chancellor.

00:08:40.686 -->...