“The Wendell Baker Story”
Directors Andrew and Luke Wilson
THINKFILM
Written and directed by actor Luke Wilson and his brother Andrew (aka the brother whose name isn’t Owen), “The Wendell Baker Story” is a comedy that chronicles the growth of a man and his achievement of love. Sounds touching, right? It’s not.
It’s tough to identify with a character like Wendell Baker (Luke Wilson). He’s a lazy and oblivious low-life who somehow manages to maintain a relationship with his all-too-tolerant girlfriend Doreen (Eva Mendes). Okay, so he does prove himself as a good guy pretty quickly, but this does not redeem the dragging plot.
Baker’s growth as a character climaxes in a bizarre scene where he takes it upon himself to rescue some elderly people from hotel corruption in an airplane. And the realization of his love is underdeveloped to the point where you wonder if it’s real.
Wilson’s voice-over has the kind of over-the-top dumbness like the one in the television show “My Name is Earl.” But while Jason Lee (Earl from the critically acclaimed show) can somehow pull off that persona, Wilson just can’t. Wendell Baker comes across as a man pretending to be shallow, diminishing any hint of authenticity.
In the beginning of the film, Baker runs a counterfeit credit card business for immigrants, but he is caught and sent to prison, where he seems to forget about Doreen while having the time of his life fooling around with the other inmates.
It’s difficult to figure out what exactly Wendell is trying to do after he is released from prison. His time is split between trying to save the residents of a retirement hotel where he works and contemplating how to get Doreen back.
Wendell’s life at the hotel involves a few creepy old guys, a mysterious hermit named Nasher (Kris Kristofferson), and Will Ferrell as Doreen’s ridiculous new boyfriend. This cast of characters is strange and, frankly, just not likable.
And though it is indeed refreshing to see Owen Wilson play someone other than the usual fun-loving goof, his portrayal of the cruel hotel manager, Neil King, is also nothing special.
The ending ““ which stops just short of fireworks ““ is incredibly predictable and corny. Let’s just say that Wendell Baker gets everything he ever wanted. Surprise, surprise.
““ Paige Parker
Contact Parker at pparker@media.ucla.edu.