A song from one of the greatest poets of our time that feels and sounds like a declaration of times gone by and the way he is now. A movie that reflects on the present troubled times of a man but also focusing on elements from his past while he's on the verge of delivering the work of his lifetime. It's no wonder that Bob Dylan's original song and Michael Douglas' character seem to echo each other for this main theme of Curtis Hanson's film "Wonder Boys". And the combination between Douglas and Dylan is what makes this video a special and unforgettable thing.
While we're on the path of discussing past, present and future, the video clip doesn't go far from that scheme. Hanson (also director of the clip) makes the creator of "The Times They Are-A-Changin'" and "Jokerman" interact with the main cast of the film - Robert Downey Jr., Tobey Maguire and Katie Holmes, while Michael Douglas seems like a past version of Dylan (towards the conclusion, Douglas turns into Dylan carrying a guitar and singing along). They're never on the same act, and all the interactive moments Dylan has with one of the cast members is previously a scene involving Douglas. It's classic editing tricks that can make Dylan and Downey being on the same car or Maguire and Dylan on the same diner. As background, we have the singer's performance, still top of his game writing elucidating and mindblowing poetry. singing like never before. To make it all more complete, the man gets an Oscar and one Golden Globe with this song, one of the most deserved wins in the history of awards.
As for soundtracks clips goes, "Things Have Changed" proves that you don't need to have a millionaire budget to accomplish effect and make a promotional material for a feature release. This one is simple and safe, and sells the film in a great way. I just wished the full song was part of it - the instrumental introduction and ending are cut, obvious reasons concerning air-time on TV back when MTV and the Soundtrack Channel were the main sources to watch a clip. Still one of the greatest moments in music and entertainment. 10/10