There's a reason this film sat on the shelf for over two years, it's wildly uneven in spots, but there's also moments where you can see that there's a good idea and film trying to get out.
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05/21/07
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The Wendell Baker Story (2007)
41
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Reviews Counted:41
Fresh:17
Rotten:24
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: The Wendell Baker Story is a lackadaisical comedy of quirky characters and situations, but ultimately the lazy narrative bores instead of charms.
Theatrical Release:May 18, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $48,120
Synopsis: Luke Wilson writes and directs (along with his brother, Andrew Wilson) this comedy about a former conman with a heart of gold. Wendell has a way with people, but fails to make the most of his... [More]
Starring: Luke Wilson, Eva Mendes, Owen Wilson, Seymour Cassel
Director: Andrew Wilson, Luke Wilson
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Reviews for The Wendell Baker Story
The Wendell Baker Story, although good-natured, tries too hard to replicate the squirreliness of a Wes Anderson film, while declining to partake of its sadness and irony.
05/17/07
Top CriticA little of the Wilsons goes a long way.
06/24/06
An idiosyncratic and larky movie that celebrates the virtue of hospitality as a grace that lubricates relationships and facilitates community.
05/17/07
I would have much rather watched Cassel and Stanton riff and try to pick up chicks for two hours. But life simply isn’t that sweet for me.
12/30/06
As much as it looks like an enjoyable project to work on and a blast for all involved, the feeling you get watching The Wendell Baker Story is that you probably had to be there.
05/18/07
Top CriticIf its aspirations are modest, The Wendell Baker Story does embody the dry wit and easy charm that has (along with Luke's looks) won the Wilsons so many fans.
04/23/05
Top CriticIt's a shame it didn't come out two years ago, as it may have then been seen as something original rather than just as a knock-off of My Name is Earl.
05/18/07
The Wilsons can't even tell a been-there-done-that story of a con artist who gets his comeuppance without calling it The Wendell Baker Story, as if the character belongs, by virtue of his Wilsonian pedigree, on a pedestal.
05/14/07
Top CriticLuke’s script is both funny and poignant, but he and Andrew do the writing a disservice by failing to set up the onscreen delivery and stubbornly clinging to tacked-on scenarios that do nothing to further the plot.
05/18/07
Silly but lovable.
05/17/07
Despite a terribly conceived coda, Luke and his brothers have mostly succeeded, thanks in large part to sharp dialogue, a solid vintage soundtrack and some great older actors from the heyday of American cinema.
05/18/07
The Wendell Baker Story just feels like an attempt to rebottle the postmodern fizz of Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket. I wish instead they'd put a stopper in it.
05/16/07
Top CriticThat they've assembled a first-rate cast made up of veteran character actors and contemporary comedy stars to pursue this agenda makes The Wendell Baker Story all the more effective.
05/19/07
Low-key to comatose, Wendell Baker might have been improved were it shot in 16mm black and white.
05/15/07
Top CriticHere’s something satisfying: ’70s-cinema fetishism with the courage of its convictions.
05/19/07
This shambling, good-natured comedy is a Wilson family affair.
05/18/07
Top CriticI haven't seen this many old coots getting up to no good since Cocoon.
08/28/08
Luke Wilson makes the case that he can act just as cool and laid-back as his brother Owen.
05/17/07
The Wilsons’ venture was shot in Austin, the global center of slackerology, and has barely summoned the energy to leave the place.
05/14/07
Top CriticLatest News for The Wendell Baker Story
July 16, 2007:
Trailer & Poster review 
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