The Wendell Baker Story (2005)

Directors:

Andrew Wilson
Luke Wilson

Writer:

Luke Wilson (writer)

Release Date:

3 August 2005 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Why not call him a hero?

Plot:

Luke Wilson plays a good-hearted ex-con who gets a job in a retirement hotel. Three elderly residents help him win back his girlfriend as he lends them a hand in fighting hotel corruption.

Plot Keywords:

Spoof | Beautiful Woman | Frat Pack | Illegal Immigrant

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Luke Wilson	...	Wendell Baker
Eva Mendes	...	Doreen
Jacob Vargas	...	Reyes Morales
Owen Wilson	...	Neil King
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Skip Summers
Kris Kristofferson	...	L.R. Nasher
Seymour Cassel	...	Boyd Fullbright
Eddie Griffin	...	McTeague
Will Ferrell	...	Dave
Angela Alvarado	...	Irma (as Angela Alvarado Rosa)
Jo Harvey Allen	...	Wanda King
Buck Taylor	...	Bob Draper
Billy Joe Shaver	...	Reverend Shackelton
Azura Skye	...	May
Nicole Swahn	...	Lucy

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some crude and sexual humor and language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Denmark:A | Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Möbius Entertainment

Trivia:

According to Luke Wilson, producers were able to raise money from investors by claiming that he was his brother Owen Wilson.

Quotes:

Neil King: [Neil is spoofing Wendell Baker in front of McTeague] "Thank you very much for this job. It's my first job in the hotel buisness

Soundtrack:

Aint Living Long Like This

a light comedy with local color

I just saw The Wendell Baker Story at what is its third screening, at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville.

Although, as stated in the prior comment, this movie will be no cult nor mainstream classic, it is highly entertaining. For a comedy, it is considerably light: the humor is mostly situational.

I personally found Wendell Baker's greatest success in the developing of the secondary characters as foils. The movie does not have opening credits, instead only introducing the title. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to see many high profile actors in roles fitting well within the film. In the post-screening interview, Luke Wilson discussed how this choice for no opening credits was as an "album cover" and that, with the focus directly on the introduction of an Austin Texas feel.

The acting in the film is generally good. Highlights for me were the performances of Grant James and Kris Kristofferson. I was, unfortunately, disappointed in Eva Mendes' delivery of her character. I feel the 'girlfriend who 'the guy' loses' cliché could have been as fresh as the other foil supporting characters.

The film has many beautiful shots on location in Texas, although the editing at times is choppy (granted the film is still not finished). The music is absolutely wonderful: the folky rock feel contributing in subtle persistence to the southwestern feel of the film.

I enjoyed this film. It was not profound... do not go to this movie to see another Royal Tenenbaums. The film is a comedy, but it is neither dark nor slapstick. It very much reminds me of Sideways in that both take advantage of a specific local color create a more personal and more relaxed movie. As such, while not often was I laughing, the ever-present humor kept me entertained.