Actors’ fun on ‘Bottle Rocket’ set launches comical film about male friendships

Actors’ fun on ‘Bottle Rocket’ set launches comical film about
male friendships

Real-life relationships of cast, crew influence tone of new
movie

By Dina Gachman

Daily Bruin Contributor

"Bottle Rocket" director Wes Anderson winces when asked about
the stereotypical male friendships seen in films. "It’s usually
just guys drinking beer" he complains.

Anderson’s film, which opens today, is about three friends who
attempt to bring meaning to their unstructured existence by
following a life of petty crime. In the process, they discover the
value of their relationships and their loyalty to each other.

"That’s one of the main themes," Anderson says, "that their
friendship is not guarded. It’s like a little kid’s friendship,
which tends to be more overtly emotional. I think you see people
hating each other out in the open all the time, but you don’t
really see them being friends."

Anderson met Owen Wilson, who co-wrote "Bottle Rocket" and also
stars in the film, in a play-writing class a few years ago at the
University of Texas. Their friendship, and their shared
appreciation for ironic and absurd comedy, inspired the story for
"Bottle Rocket".

Wilson says that what ended up as a touching comedy about the
friendship of three misfit Texas kids began as a completely
different story.

"We were trying to do something more like ‘Goodfellas,’" he
explains, "like a real gritty street punks kind of thing, but the
stuff we came up with was so obviously not that. It was a
joke."

What they did come up with initially was a black and white short
of "Bottle Rocket." Even though Anderson intended to make this
project a feature, lack of funds forced him to end it with only 13
minutes of film.

In that version, Owen Wilson played the part of Dignan – the
naive, energetic leader of the trio of friends – and recruited his
younger brother Luke to play Dignan’s best friend Anthony. Wilson
also got Robert Musgrave, whom he met while shooting pool, to play
the cowardly, but good-hearted friend Bob.

With the help of James Brooks’ Gracie Films, Anderson was able
to make the feature-length, full-color version of "Bottle Rocket.
Polly Platt, associate producer of "Bottle Rocket," says that
Gracie Films was drawn to the project by Anderson and Wilson’s
original and comical writing.

Owen Wilson, whose relaxed manner and slow speech convey a hint
of sarcasm, attributes Brooks’ decision to produce the film to a
desire to help a group of struggling kids.

"When Jim (James) Brooks first came down to Dallas to meet with
us," he states, "he came over to our apartment which was a real
dump, and I think he was kind of sympathetic, like, ‘what’s gonna
happen to these poor guys?’"

The real-life friendships of the cast and crew influenced both
the script and the actual filming. Anderson describes working with
his friends as a positive experience.

"It didn’t add tension," he says. "It gave me an incredible
sense of security to have the people in almost every scene be my
friends." While this closeness gave the friends security, Wilson
thinks it may also have alienated others.

"I think it can maybe be sort of claustrophobic, and difficult
for somebody else to come in. Because we hang around together it’s
just strange maybe," he explains.

James Caan has a cameo as Mr. Henry, a petty criminal idolized
by Dignan. Owen Wilson says that he and his friends were initially
intimidated by the veteran actor.

"He (Caan) was really great and tried to take us under his
wing," he says. "We were all worried about working with him, but he
really got into it and had fun on the set."

The sense of fun on the set influenced the tone of "Bottle
Rocket." The actors bring the same freedom and silliness they feel
with each other into their performances.

"You just felt comfortable and relaxed," says Wilson. "You know
you’re getting a good reaction from them if you do something funny.
You feel really free."

"Bottle Rocket" follows the comical, and often absurd, lives of
three friends. Even though the story came partly from his own
relationships, director Anderson jokes that people outside of his
circle of friends may not be able to relate to his film.

"At the end of the day," he laughs, "we’d stop and say, "Jesus
Christ – is anybody gonna get this stuff? We’re gonna laugh at this
movie, but is anybody else gonna laugh at this stuff?"

FILM: "Bottle Rocket" opens today in limited release.Comments to
webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu

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