The Wendell Baker Story (2005)

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.

Directors:

Andrew Wilson, Luke Wilson

Writer:

Luke Wilson

Stars:

Luke Wilson, Eva Mendes, Jacob Vargas

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Near the Texas-Mexico border, Wendell Baker has a few things going for him: his genial nature and optimism and the love of Doreen. His troubles? He dances around telling her that he loves her, and his idea of work is illegal. He's arrested, imprisoned, and she puts him behind her when she realizes that even prison is just a good excuse for him to play football with the guys. When he is paroled, it's to a job in the "hotel industry" at a board and care home for seniors, where the head nurse is running a scam. Three of the residents respond to Wendell's good heart. Can they expose the scam and help Wendell win back Doreen?

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Plot Keywords:

prison | nurse | old age | fantasy sequence | pet dog | 

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Taglines:

Why not call him a hero?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

3 August 2005 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

A Wendell Baker balhé

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$48,120 (USA) (18 May 2007)

Gross:

$127,144 (USA) (6 July 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Möbius Entertainment, MHF Zweite Academy Film, Franchise Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Luke Wilson hired his mother, a professional photographer, to take stills on the set. When Mrs. Wilson saw that photographer Mark Seliger was also taking stills she demanded that Seliger be fired. Instead, Luke fired his mother. According to Luke, the crew was unhappy about this and brother Andrew Wilson rehired Mrs. Wilson.

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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

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Soundtracks

"Live Forever"
Written by Billy Joe Shaver and Eddy Shaver
Performed by Billy Joe Shaver
Courtesy of Volcano Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Licensing

User Reviews

saw it at vail film fest

I saw the Wendell Baker Story last weekend at the Vail film festival and thought it was a charming, funny, truly enjoyable movie. It was very different from Luke Wilson's work with Owen Wilson & Wes Anderson, but in a great way. The quirkiness of Anderson's films was evident, but there was an added tenderness and empathy between the characters, which says a lot about the quality of the script, the direction, and the acting. Luke Wilson was very appealing in the title role--his face is so expressive! As always, Owen Wilson & Will Ferrell were hysterical. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who likes not only the Owen/Anderson combination, but to anyone who likes romantic comedies. (I must mention, and I hope this doesn't sound derogatory, the scenery in the film made me want to visit Texas for the first time ever.)