Product Details

• Actors: Jacob Vargas, Will Ferrell, Kris Kristofferson, Eddie Griffin, Seymour Cassel
• Directors: Andrew Wilson
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: VELOCITY / THINKFILM
• DVD Release Date: October 30, 2007
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000S0SYI2
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,261 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Wendell Baker (Luke Wilson) is a dreamer and schemer whose latest scam lands him in jail, alienating him from his longtime girlfriend (Eva Mendes). Eternally optimistic, Wendell makes the most of his time behind bars and vows to turn his life around. Upon release, he gets a job at a retirement hotel, where he befriends some of the elderly residents. Wendell's new friends advise him on how to win back his girlfriend, while he helps them battle the hotel's evil head nurse Neil King (Owen Wilson) and his right-hand man McTeague (Eddie Griffin).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once in awhile an enormous talent comes along. , May 3, 2008

By	Kelly Jo Golden (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once in awhile an enormouse talent comes along to reminds you that a little hard work can go along way. Luke Wilson and his brothers made this move happen. Andrew co-directed- **and every shot** Bril Really. The story is imaginative and funny. Really One of a kind. I came on Amazon just and saw the last review and felt the NEED to come and say--What 1 star are you CRAZY? 5 stars. AND no I didn't give this a good review because of anyone in it. I give it the Kelly 5 star stamp because From the 1st shot of Wendell in bed from his window I knew this movie was one of a kind--and it really is. Please buy this movie you will not be sorry! Thanks for taking the time out to read this.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not a barn-burner but sweet and witty, December 14, 2008

By	Roland E. Zwick (Valencia, Ca USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

***1/2

As played by Luke Wilson, Wendell Baker is the kind of character authors like to refer to as a "lovable rogue" - a smooth-talking scam artist with a tongue as nimble as the pen of a scribe (to borrow a phrase from scripture, if I may be so bold). The trouble is that a good-hearted guy can run afoul of the law for only so long before he risks losing the woman he loves (Eva Mendes) and before he is finally forced into taking a long, hard look at his life. Thus, once he's paroled from prison, Wendell decides to go straight by taking a job at a retirement home (he's been duped into believing that this is a first step on the road to a career in hotel management) run by a sadistic administrator (Owen Wilson) and his toadying staff. There's a little of the feel of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," as the con man leads the put-upon inmates of the "asylum" in a well-coordinated rebellion against their oppressors.

The chief attraction of "The Wendell Baker Story" is the opportunity it affords us of seeing the Wilson brothers appearing together in the same movie - and what a treat it turns out to be. Luke has written a script filled with the kind of dry, wry wit that has been the hallmark of both of their performances over the years, and their scenes together crackle with understated cynicism and humor (Luke co-directed the feature with yet another brother, Andrew, making this a family affair in the fullest sense of the term). The movie is also blessed with an amazing team of supporting players, including Harry Dean Stanton and Seymour Cassel as spry oldsters who find a supportive helpmate in Wendell Baker; Kris Kristofferson as a mysterious, stoic resident who is harboring a carefully guarded secret about his past; Will Ferrell as the grocery store owner who is Wendell`s chief rival for his now ex-girlfriend`s affections; and Eddie Griffin who serves as chief henchman for the home`s scalawag of a director.

Their performances and the laidback tone of the humor compensate for the occasional dry spots and the fact that the movie itself doesn't really add up to all that much when all is said and done.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some funny moments but overall an opportunity missed, November 8, 2007

By	Bill - See all my reviews

Before this came out I wondered how a film featuring all three Wilson brothers could labor on the shelves so long. Now I know. The biggest problem is that Luke Wilson tried to write his own Dignan-type role, when that persona is perfectly suited for Owen. Luke tries hard, but it just never worked for me. I often wondered throughout the film how it would've fared if Owen played Wendell and Luke played Neil King. Of course Owen is still great as Neil King, the evil nurse, and he gives several great lines that Owen Wilson fans will quote for some time. The "goodnight" talk over the intercom is hysterical, as is his confrontation with Seymour Cassell in the men's room. The scenes with Owen and Will Ferrell are often very funny, and from the commentary track it sounds like most of their stuff was ad-libbed. They basically saved this film and made it watchable. The writing just isn't consistently strong. I wonder what Wes Anderson thought of this film. Hopefully it was a great learning experience for Luke and he'll create a better second film.