Is James really a 'Wonder boy'?

the title is a reference to the phrase, "One Hit Wonder" authors

Scientists_pay_attention... Beg to differ, but your interpretation of the title is incorrect. I've viewed this film many times. It's one of my favorite films and has become a passionate "study". The extra material on the DVD provides invaluable insight into the film, including a director's commentary - Curtis Hanson - in which he describes James as a prodigy. He explicitly refers to other wonder boys, including Bob Dylan.

Despite this commentary, we still cannot assume within the context of the film that James is merely a "one hit wonder", as the film subsides before we can glimpse beyond James initial success.

And... Bob Dylan's musical presence in this film serves as a very clever metaphor, also explicit in the commentary. Dylan himself is labeled by Hanson as a wonder boy - by no means a one hit wonder; rather an enigma and an extremly proliferous songwriter. Bob spit out poetic lyrics at a rate that still boggles the mind. We discover in the course of the film that James' book was not only worthy of publish, but also completed in a relatively impressive timespan. This is very unsettling to Grady.

The essential plot of this story resides in a juxtaposition of the teacher, Grady, with a threatening student who embodies what he himself once possesed. Another song that lends to this conclusion is "Old Man" by Niel Young: "Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were."

Grady must now truly come to terms with his failing (dormant) talent, as he now is confronted with James' talent. Ironically, and in true heroic fashion, the student becomes the teacher (which is beautifully executed in this film): James provides the impetus to motivate and provoke Grady to re-evaluate every facet of his life, including his ability to teach and his will to write. There are many scenes which make this evident, including Crabtree's reading aloud James' depiction of Grady as once great author and teacher who could no longer inspire even himself. Crabtree himself is provided a "new start" after a long dormant success - in the form of Grady's novel - through James.

Grady bows to James at the ceremomy in the final scene. This bow is both in recognition of James talent as a writer, and an expression of gratitude. James has unwittingly saved Grady from further turmoil with a novel he "couldn't stop" writing. Grady takes immediate steps to revamp his life, and his novel.

There are other vehicles in this story that motivate Grady, but James is clearly prevelant.

As an aside, Hanson speaks of bridges, which are implemented in the dialogue and visible in the background of several scenes. These bridges serve the story on many levels, including James influence on Grady and Crabtree as a bridge to a new beginning.

In short, this film is not about "one-hit wonders", but about a wonderful individual he inspires and re-awakens the wonder in those who have lost thier own sense of wonder.