random_avenger In his writing and directing debut, Luke Wilson plays Wendell Baker, a laid-back loser who decides to start a new life after being released on parole from prison. He gets a job at an old people's retirement home led by the shady head nurse Neil King (Owen Wilson) and his assistant McTeague (Eddie Griffin) who keep shamelessly embezzling the inhabitants' meager income. With a few spirited residents, Wendell starts an operation to put an end to King's schemes and to win back the heart of his old girlfriend Doreen (Eva Mendes).There are many attempts at good jokes in the movie, but sadly the Wilsons' lack of directing experience is glaringly obvious. The different plot lines are very clunkily connected and don't feel like they belong in the same movie at all. The Wendell character's change of nature during his prison time is not very convincing and even if it was, his relationship with the responsible Doreen never rings true. In a lighthearted comedy it wouldn't necessarily matter, but since the Doreen plot line (involving Will Ferrell as her new boyfriend) is the most serious one in the movie, it only feels awkward and out of place.The King and McTeague characters look like they belong in a dark comedy, while Wendell and his elderly friends' trip to the farm of King's mother would be closer to a cheeky road trip movie. The trip sequence is the one that works the best in any case, thanks to the charismatic supporting actors Harry Dean Stanton and Seymour Cassel as the ever-virile Skip and Boyd who keep stealing the show from the bland Wilson. Kris Kristofferson is wasted in a small role though; I wish that the movie had spent more time with the old folks anyway instead of trying to fit so many different story lines in one tale.It looks like the script was a little too far-reaching for the first-time directors, as now the movie doesn't seem to know if it wants to be more of a drama or comedy; the elements and plot lines just don't mix well into a successful dramedy either. Even though I did enjoy the setting in the Southern USA and some of the constantly playing country songs on the soundtrack, over all I cannot really call the film good at all. Perhaps with more writing and directing experience the Wilsons can eventually produce a more streamlined effort, but as it is now, The Wendell Baker Story remains clumsy and artificial.

ash_hyp I think the reviews here are a little unfair to the impact of the movie. As far as I go, it's that rare heartwarming movie that stays with you even after the end of the credits. What I liked about the story was the infusion of wit and cheek in the simplicity and goodwill of the plot. Wendell Baker is a greatly likable scamp who has his heart in more than one right place. The attention to racial sensitivity, for example, affirms Baker's charm, from his mercenary yet political business of selling fake ids to immigrant Mexicans to joking with his black inmates about 'aryans and crips ruling together', which had me laughing because of the ease with which he does or says those things. I'm probably ruining those moments by making them explicit because it's precisely the subtlety and matter-of-factness with which these things are woven into his crazy character that make him work for me. The gender angle, on the other hand,, was pretty screwed, because who cares for old women? Another thing I liked was that the movie ends on a note of reasonable success, not the sort of incredible feat that one is asked to admire in movies like the pursuit of happiness. All this, and Luke Wilson looking so cute is why I'd rate the movie above average.

mikeba49 Don't waste your time.Next to the "Rat brained Humans" creation of John Travolta, this rates as the worst movie ever and I like the Wilson boy's quirky on screen persona's. Their characters are usually interesting when directed and written well.The first act takes 80 minutes to develop a plodding, uninteresting list of characters and histrionics. Cassel and Stanton bring some of the only bright spots to the story as co-heroes.When the second act sets up the drama with Luke Wilson and a sleeper like Howard Hughes character in Kris Kristofferson as Heroes pitted against the villainous Owen Wilson and Eddie Griffin, your left to wonder "who cares"? And finally, the good old boys saves the day finale, is counter climatically. Wilson was really to clueless to "get the girl".Sorry Wilson Bro's, but you blew it!!

Polaris_DiB Most people know Owen Wilson. Many people know Luke Wilson. Few people are probably familiar with Andrew Wilson. He's the hand with the BB in it in The Royal Tenenbaums. He pops up from time to time in Anderson movies and other movies with the Wilsons in them. But maybe he's a bit more camera shy and doesn't want to be an image on the screen, so for the most part he hasn't followed the same path as his brothers. Now, apparently, he's directing. Cool! This is probably the hardest type of movie to review. Simply stated, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it isn't very good. The imagery is nice. The story is pleasant, but predictable. The humor I get, but it's kind of slow and isn't really memorable. Character development feels added as an after-thought, but at least it's there. It honestly feels like O Brother Where Art Thou? meets My Name is Earl without the skill of the former or the humor of the latter. It's a very non-specific movie, which is why I feel very non-specific about it.I'd state that as an entertainment medium, it's worth a rental, but that it probably won't be on shelves for long. In the meantime, Luke and Andrew Wilson show enough skill in directing that perhaps either or both of them can go on to make some much more interesting movies in the future. For now, though, I wouldn't really recommend this movie to anyone in particular as it doesn't really feel like it has much personality.--PolarisDiB