The Wendell Baker Story

not a barn-burner but sweet and witty
***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...

Hilarious!
I thought this movie was very funny. If you like the Wilson Brothers' other movies, then you shouldn't be disappointed here. It's full of their usual oddball comedy, with surprising cameos and a great soundtrack. I hope Luke Wilson is not put off by those pedantic critics who don't get it. He and his brothers, along with their pal Wes Anderson, have a unique take on comedy that is fresh and highly entertaining.

See this movie!
This movie is a kick! Really well done. Very quirky, very endearing. Good ensemble cast. Lots of laughs. If you like this one, then see Henry Poole was Here too - also very good. There is something very geniuine about both movies. Definitely my two favorite Luke Wilson movies. Hope there are more like these to come.

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