A few years ago on the talk show circuit, Luke Wilson liked to note that he had contributed one of the most memorable lines in
Rushmore. Already cast as Dr. Peter Flynn, Luke was reading over the script written by Wes Anderson and brother Owen when he got to the restaurant scene after the conclusion of Max Fischer's "Serpico." Luke's character comes to the dinner in O.R. scrubs and he thought it would be funny if Max asked what the clothing was, got the response, and then asked, "Oh, are they?" Bill Murray's Harold Blume nearly gags on his whiskey after hearing the line and so do we.
Luke played his part. He saw an opportunity, went for it, and it worked. Apparently, the experience gave him enough confidence to write a script of his own. His first attempt is
The Wendell Baker Story, a project that looks wildly appealing on paper. Co-directed with brother Andrew, the film stars Luke, Seymour Cassel, Eddie Griffin, Kris Kristofferson, Eva Mendes, Harry Dean Stanton, Owen Wilson, and Will Ferrell. The acting ingredients are there, but these Wilsons (Owen can obviously write) are no Afflecks behind the scenes.
The script feels paper thin and as a result, these famous friends of the Wilsons are exposed for their true motives: merely paying a favor. Surprisingly, it is Luke himself who is most phoning in a performance. His do-good title character is an incomplete writing exercise, a by-product of inexperience (and possibly lack of talent) that plagues the duped supporting cast. All of the Wilsons' weaknesses that have been seen in other directors' films are exposed to their full intensity fittingly at their own expense. Unfortunately, it also makes the rest of the known cast look like painful caricatures of themselves (notably Griffin, Cassel, and Owen).
The funny lines that made Luke extra cool on Lettermen are still there. Wendell tells his business partner Reyes, "I feel like a million pesos." Reyes replies, "That's like, 4 bucks." But that's all Luke's got: a few memorable lines. This failed Creative Writing 101 assignment only made it to the big screen on the Wilsons' clout and with the help of some overly kind Hollywood pals. With the exception of a few
Bottle Rocket-esque moments, this one is in
Plan 9 From Outer Space league.