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MiraJeff Reviews THE WENDELL BAKER STORY!!
Greetings AICN, MiraJeff here with, at long last, a look at the oft-delayed Wilson Brothers flick, The Wendell Baker Story. I have to start off by saying that there is absolutely no excuse for this film to have been sitting on a shelf for this long. To put things in perspective, Variety reviewed this film all the way back in March...2005. You'd think that the dust accumulating on this project could only mean one thing, but you'd be dead wrong. The Wendell Baker Story is actually a sweet screwball comedy that's a throwback to the 70s cinema that co-directors Luke and Andrew Wilson try so hard to evoke, right down to the title card and the excellent casting of three under-appreciated old-timers who prove their balls aren't full of sawdust after all. The film may be the story of Wendell Baker (Luke Wilson) but veterans Seymour Cassel and Harry Dean Stanton are the ones who walk off with the picture, with nary a cane or wheelchair in sight.
Luke stars as the titular antihero of sorts, a guy with big dreams but small vision. Ever the optimist, Wendell's the kind of guy who's confident the grass is always greener on the other side. Wendell is in love with his uber-gorgeous girlfriend Doreen (Eva Mendes), and sells fake Texas drivers licenses to illegal Mexican immigrants with his compadre Reyes (Jacob Vargas). Together they fancy themselves the Ellis Island of the Southwest. Working out of a dilapidated RV called The Citizenship, Wendell brags about making foolproof IDs for the likes Jimmy Smits, Salma Hayek and J-Lo. This half-baked scheme lands Wendell in jail where he uses his people-person skills to unite the prison population, playing a friendly game of football with Crips and Aryans alike. He also writes Doreen every day but his letters are returned to sender. Eventually paroled, Wendell gets a job at the Shady Grove Retirement Hotel, which is run by Medicare-stealing Neil King (Owen Wilson) and his Walkman-loving lackey McTeague (Eddie Griffin). The two of them revel in bossing around the elderly trusted to their care, and when someone doesn't comply with their demands, they're given "The Greyhound Treatment." I won't spoil what that entails but needless to say, it isn't fun. Of course, should someone ever discover the truth about these disappearing senior citizens, King knows Wendell is the perfect patsy, a natural born loser with a criminal record. Desperate to turn his life around, Wendell befriends three older gentlemen- Boyd (Cassel), Skip (Stanton) and the mysterious Nasher (Kris Kristofferson), who plot to help him win Doreen back in return for Wendell's help in knocking King off his insurance-scamming throne.
The Wendell Baker Story is driven by its charming performances. Luke is in fine form here, and because he wrote the damn movie, the role seems tailor-made for him. His slackerish charisma has never been more winning. I've always felt that Luke has been overshadowed by his brother, perhaps because he exhibits limited personality in his onscreen roles, which often make him come across a bit stiff. I know I'm not alone in this line of thinking because LA Weekly's Robert Wilonsky wrote in his Wendell review that "Luke just can't carry a movie, not even if you spotted him the forklift." I don't know that I entirely agree with that, nor do I think he's ever been asked to carry a movie, though if there has been such a film, it's certainly this one. Too often Luke's cast as the straight man, but frankly, when he's given something to do, I actually quite like him, and between this and Vacancy, he's really done a lot lately to change my perception of him as a movie star. I'm not going to make excuses for his merely average body of work (for every Wes Anderson film, there's a Legally Blonde or My Super Ex-Girlfriend to bring him back down to Earth), but the guy is more than capable of bringing the funny (he was perfect as the elder Kelso on That 70's Show) and because Wendell is a passion project of his and perhaps his most personal character, he really shines. I know he's reverting back to lame-o love interest mode in Jessica Simpson's Blonde Ambition, but here's hoping his recently announced "dramedy" Henry Poole Is Here works as well as Wendell. Meanwhile, Owen oozes sleazy charm, scoring laughs whenever he's onscreen, which isn't often enough, and though he and Griffin make an unlikely comic team, they do share a natural chemistry. As for Mendes, there are VERY few actresses who are easier to look at, but regardless, she's given next to nothing to do in this film, and she's not the best actress to begin with, although I hold out hope that Live! and We Own the Night will help to change my professional opinion of her. The thing is, Wendell and Doreen's relationship feels completely arbitrary. It's not really her fault, it's a problem with the script, where there's nothing to suggest that these two people are right for each other. Then again, perhaps Doreen has a thing for hooking up with people who aren't right for her, because while Wendell is in jail, she shacks up with Dave Bix (Will Ferrell), a straight-laced local grocer. Ferrell's extended cameo is a highlight of the film, but it's a different kind of cameo than we're used to, because it's not of the Wedding Crashers or Starsky and Hutch variety.
So why has the film been sitting on the shelf for so long? Probably because it doesn't really fit in the mold of recent Wilson Bros. movies. It's not easily defined or able to be put in a particular "box." There seem to be some continuity problems, as if there are scenes missing. It's definitely lacking something, but it's hard to say what that is. I guess if anything it's the glossy polish that studio comedies tend to have. This feels a little more homemade, a little more like a project filmed on the weekends amongst family and friends. There's too much of Wendell's voice-over, and if I have one serious complaint it's that the script does a little too much telling instead of showing. For instance, I don't think we ever see Wendell writing one of those love letters to Doreen, just one day, he gets a whole bunch of them back. There's no real introduction scene between Wendell and King, they're just kind of thrown into a funeral scene together rather that properly set up as adversaries. And the storyline with Reyes, which the script initially sets up as being a major priority, takes a backseat in the second half as the old-timers take center stage. I also though Wendell's personal changes come a little too easily, but those types of things can be easily forgiven in a comedy.
Still, the reasons I'll remember The Wendell Baker Story are Cassell and Stanton, who're like The Odd Couple if Oscar and Felix were hopped up on Viagra. I had no problem believing a couple of old dudes like them could pick up some hot young ladies, if only because of how cool they both are. I still imagine ol' Seymour with a ponytail swinging back and forth. I mean, Minnie and Moskowitz, come on! His line about "many a fine tune has been played on an old guitar" is priceless, not to mention his promise to "find your G-spot in 5 minutes, 10 max." Their most intimate moment together, a poignant dramatic scene in which Stanton yearns for his late wife, was also truly touching.
The Wendell Baker Story is about living life with no regrets, and recognizing what you have while you still have it. It'll also teach you never to underestimate the elderly. They're wily and unpredictable, and when they piss themselves, they're often quite persuasive. The ending is a little wacky and the plot isn't exactly Hamlet, but I enjoyed the ride and I suspect you will too once you get past the slow beginning and give Wendell a chance to work his magic, because by the end, just as he does Doreen, he wins us over. And isn't that all you can ask from a Luke Wilson movie?
That'll do it for me, folks. I'll be back with a look at the Sundance smash Eagle Vs. Shark, starring that dude from HBO's new comedy series, Flight of the Conchords. If you decide to check out The Wendell Baker story, tell me what you think at mirajeff@aintitcool.com. 'Til next time, this is MiraJeff signing off...
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This is alot easier than people make it out to be...
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...yeah, Luke's had a rough time...CHUD was vicious about him the other day: "Luke Wilson will not die."
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I guess I'm the first with anything relevant to say.
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May 18, 2007 9:13:44 AM CDT
Did that huge plot summary hurt when you forced it out?
by spandau belly
Writing this badly must be the equivilent of passing a kidney stone. There's no way it's less painful than reading it.
If you ever lose your job as ratcatcher at Variety, I'm sure Cliff's Notes is hiring. -
Also, this town needs an enema!
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Feel free to put it in a black box for that added prestige.
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I saw this film at the Wisconsin Film Festival in April of 2006. I really can't believe it's taken this long to get it distributed. This is a welcome treat to theatres, so I don't have to go see Spidey 3 or Shrek 3.
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Then I have the movie for you, it's called, THE GRANDMOTHER. It's about an aging woman who likes to send notes, but here's the twist: once a year she sends a not that contains a $5 bill. Why? Well, you'll just have to see it in theaters this fall!
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I mispelled note...so what? I'm snarky, love me.
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Some funny jokes, some good performances, a lot of bad performances (Eva Mendes), a lot of strange plot elements and conveniences, and bad editing and pacing. Take for that what you will.
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the Thirties.
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I kid you not, this movie is the drizzling shits. There are some funny lines scattered about and the occasional winning moment, but overall? Sweet fucking lord, it just sucks a dick.
This film has no idea what it wants to be. It's like someone grabbed five different scripts (none of them very good) and threw them in a blender.
My favorite WTF moment is a goodbye scene involving Kris Kristofferson that comes out of nowhere. It's played as drama, with Kristofferson spouting grizzled wisdom and Luke Wilson looking back at him, his eyes mostening with tears. Only ... oops! These characters have shared maybe 5 minutes of screen time total leading up to this! It's like the ending of a drama in which these two were the main characters. Only it isn't a drama and this is COMPLETELY out of place, unearned and just flat-out bizarre.
The "happy ending" is like something out of a bad '80s comedy, including a moment with Eva Mendes that is so painful it made me embarassed for everyone involved.
Could go on ad nauseum (believe me) but this film isn't worth my time. Thumbs up for a scene in which Seymour Cassell and Harry Dean Stanton try to pick up a couple of underage girls, but overall ... recommendation to flee. -
on his show today. Basically, they said it sucks donkey balls (I believe that is a common perjorative saying).
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