This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

This is a nice movie that packs some laughs & entertainment as well as an inspiring message. Luke Wilson plays the protagonist Wendell, a seemingly clueless dreamer whose "capitalist ventures" always land him in hot water.This movie carries a great message about what it takes to succeed as a human being. In particular, the line in the title of my review (spoken by Kris Kristofferson) applies to Wendell. If you like movies about people who stay fresh & optimistic despite life's hard knocks, this is a good one to watch. Other films that delve into the same theme are "Little Miss Sunshine", "Chocolat", "The Marc Pease Experience" and the classic film "Zorba the Greek"."The Wendell Baker Story" features a lot of veteran actors whom you may not recognize at first, such as Harry Dean Stanton (who played the leading role in "Paris Texas" and also a memorable role in "Alien"), Seymour Cassel (who got an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1968 film "Faces") and my favourite of the lot: Kris Kristofferson (one of the best musician-turned-actors I've ever seen).Unfortunately, some powerful scenes featuring these actors were cut from the final version of this film. I suppose it was to give the movie more of a snappy comedic appeal instead of carrying a heavier vibe. But you can still see these scenes in the deleted material on the DVD.The film, as it was released, balances itself squarely between comedy and heart. In other words, it's not a laugh-a-minute riot, nor is it a film that makes you stop & ponder your place in the universe ...though it could have gone either way. I suppose you can take it at your own pace. Me, I would've liked it to be at least a half hour longer & feature more of the dramatic scenes that were cut.The music is a real treat and lends a nice, rustic Texas vibe to the whole show. Peppered throughout the film are songs by Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, etc. Oddly enough I don't think there was anything by Kris Kristofferson. But his excellent performance on screen is enough to satisfy any fan.

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.

In the first reel of "The Wendell Baker Story" there are many exterior and interior shots of what I reckon to be a '54 Spartan Royal Mansion. The movie was set and shot in and around Austin Texas so the vintage mobile home sports Texas plates. It was nice to see the old bird under tow (by a mid-80s El Camino, I think) though it was distressing to see the leading man swing a golf club inside the coach (what I could see of the interior past a heavy, goofy set decoration, was definitely unrestored and kinda rough) and play for laughs the joke of his 9 iron crunching into and getting stuck in a birch wood ceiling panel. Even though the vintage coach in this movie wasn't a beautifully restored specimen (of which there are many available) or a vintage coach preserved in original condition, still it was thrilling to see a mid-fifties Spartan featured in the movie as a key set piece. What caused me to groan out loud in the theater was the leading man, with the exquisite curves of his Spartan Aircraft Company trailer fleshing out the near background,refer to it as an Airstream. To the production designer's (or art director's) credit, the movie was an ode to vintage aluminum, for also featured in this movie was a beautiful polished vintage twin beech aircraft, the progenitor of the airframe construction technique -- aluminum skin riveted to aluminum studs --used by Spartan Aircraft Co. to such great effect for more than forty years. And continuing the aluminum theme, in a much shorter appearance, a shiny Haliburton valise was used as a key prop.I don't know if this light and entertaining movie about a quirky character is still in release in your neighborhood, but I'd be a terrific DVD rental. Even if you are not a vintage trailer fan, take a look at this well made little picture.Spartanaciously, Michael Katz

I just saw The Wendell Baker Story at what is its third screening, at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville. Although, as stated in the prior comment, this movie will be no cult nor mainstream classic, it is highly entertaining. For a comedy, it is considerably light: the humor is mostly situational. I personally found Wendell Baker's greatest success in the developing of the secondary characters as foils. The movie does not have opening credits, instead only introducing the title. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to see many high profile actors in roles fitting well within the film. In the post-screening interview, Luke Wilson discussed how this choice for no opening credits was as an "album cover" and that, with the focus directly on the introduction of an Austin Texas feel. The acting in the film is generally good. Highlights for me were the performances of Grant James and Kris Kristofferson. I was, unfortunately, disappointed in Eva Mendes' delivery of her character. I feel the 'girlfriend who 'the guy' loses' cliché could have been as fresh as the other foil supporting characters. The film has many beautiful shots on location in Texas, although the editing at times is choppy (granted the film is still not finished). The music is absolutely wonderful: the folky rock feel contributing in subtle persistence to the southwestern feel of the film. I enjoyed this film. It was not profound... do not go to this movie to see another Royal Tenenbaums. The film is a comedy, but it is neither dark nor slapstick. It very much reminds me of Sideways in that both take advantage of a specific local color create a more personal and more relaxed movie. As such, while not often was I laughing, the ever-present humor kept me entertained.