The Wendell Baker Story

Luke Wilson’s written, acted and debut-co-directed homage to offbeat ‘70s era satires, ala "Rancho Deluxe," is a study in movie-by-committee entropy. Made with five Wilson family members, the rambling story follows fictional good-hearted Texas criminal Wendell Baker (Luke Wilson) whose extended prison sentence, for selling counterfeit driver’s licenses to Mexican immigrants, motivates him to pursue hotel management. Still heartbroken at the loss of his truelove Doreen (Eva Mendes), Wendell takes an administrative post at Shady Grove, a shabby retirement hotel overseen by a couple of con men nurses running a perplexing Medicare scam. Wendell’s fast friendship with a crew of quirky residents, played by Harry Dean Stanton, Seymour Cassel and Kris Kristofferson, results in a last ditch attempt to steal Doreen away from the grubby hands of her grocery store manager husband Dave Bix (Will Ferrell).

Rated PG-13. 99 mins. (C-) (Two Stars)