Fess-Up Time

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L.A. Times reporter John Horn has considered the Owen Wilson hideaway situation -- i.e., his not giving interviews for fear of being asked to discuss his alleged suicide attempt last summer. This posture has now resulted in two of his films -- last fall's The Darjeeling Limited and now Drillbit Taylor -- opening sans the usual all-media promotional hoo-hah (print interviews, entertainment show chats, talk-show appearances).

So how long does this go on? Will Owen also duck Marley and Me press duties next November and December? Gutter-ball journalists are never going to let this go, and the only way to handle it is to spill it all over the stage. Stand up and talk frankly about what happened last summer and why and how it feels and blah-dee-blah.

I completely agree that talking to Matt Lauer like you would a therapist in a private session is a loathsome prospect, but Wilson has no choice. Give a big interview to someone cool and respected, or write an article about it himself and just end it. And then refuse to discuss it any further.

Wilson is very good, after all, at expressing the ins and outs of delicate interior matters. That's pretty much his specialty, in fact. As I wrote in '06, "There is no other actor on the Hollywood landscape whose movie dialogue (large portions of which Wilson always seems to write or improvise himself) is focused so earnestly and consistently on matters of attitude and heart. Pretentious as it may sound, Wilson is an actor with a consistently alive and pulsing inner-ness. Is there any other actor who even flirts with this realm?"

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM

comment #1

berkguru says ...

he has an overwhelming likeability factor in his movies...love his personality even if it is pretty similar in most roles

why does he owe anyone any explanation? isnt his personal life private business?

Posted by berkguru at March 20, 2008 1:55 PM

comment #2

sutter kane says ...

Jeff,

Good points about Wilson having to come out and discuss this at some point, but I can't help but feel like you're way more forgiving of Wilson than almost anyone else. His Wes Anderson work tends to be exceptional, but his list of bad-to-awful movies (The Big Bounce, I, Spy, Shaghai everything, and now Drillbit) is starting to rival Travolta's. Everybody likes to champion somebody, but it's a mystery to me how you can defend Wilson and trash Spielberg in the same week.

Posted by sutter kane at March 20, 2008 2:08 PM

comment #3

Monument says ...

I agree that Wilson has a spotty film resume, but I've always appreciated the fact that Owen Wilson has a tendency to shine even in a shitty movie, whereas Travolta tends to be shitty in shitty movies.

Posted by Monument at March 20, 2008 2:39 PM

comment #4

Josh Massey says ...

When was the last time Eddie Murphy gave a print interview?

Posted by Josh Massey at March 20, 2008 3:00 PM

comment #5

C Toto says ...

It's fascinating to me how different his on-screen persona is -- the lovable slacker with the cracked voice -- compared to what must be going on inside him. That's a tension that could yield stunning work some day, but for now we get "Drillbit Taylor."

And yes, he should spill as much as he feels comfortable spilling, and then cap it. There's no harm in saying, 'that's my personal business.' Jodie Foster does it all the time. Heck, more actors should say that very same thing in interviews when the questions hit too close to home for their tastes.

Posted by C Toto at March 20, 2008 3:03 PM

comment #6

christian says ...

He doesn't have to answer to anybody.

This is all Owen Wilsin owes us:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKGpXfAdCAs

Posted by christian at March 20, 2008 3:09 PM

comment #7

Monument says ...

Nice pick Christian, I love that scene.

Posted by Monument at March 20, 2008 3:18 PM

comment #8

Mr. Muckle says ...

I have to question the initial premise that DT is a bad movie. It's for kids, isn't it? Ebert (not that he's the Deity) always says he evaluates a film by how well it achieves what it intended. I'll bet kids would find DT pretty amusing, and they certainly don't give a crap about the opinion of critics. Not everything (this is obvious, natch) is aimed at us hipsters. If the moneybags are okay with no pub from OW, what's it to me? Nada. Usually, the more I know about actors, the less interesting they are anyway. You've got to maintain at least some mystique to convince as a fictional character. An unexplained suicide attempt is pretty much a boxful of mystique, so there's that.

Posted by Mr. Muckle at March 20, 2008 3:49 PM

comment #9

rr3333 says ...

Was 'Drillbit' made before his suicide attempt?

Name an actor who doesnt do a bunch of films that blow for the money?

Posted by rr3333 at March 20, 2008 8:00 PM

comment #10

JChasse says ...

rr3333: Daniel Day-Lewis?

Posted by JChasse at March 21, 2008 5:30 AM

comment #11

Bocephus says ...

Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ryan Gosling.

Posted by Bocephus at March 21, 2008 8:02 AM

comment #12

Bocephus says ...

Of course, by giving those examples, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with taking a paycheck role. Acting is a job. Does a plumber turn down toilet fixing jobs to focus on the less-messy bidet work?

Posted by Bocephus at March 21, 2008 8:04 AM

comment #13

Richardson says ...

"Everybody likes to champion somebody, but it's a mystery to me how you can defend Wilson and trash Spielberg in the same week."

Really? You've obviously never seen Wells shamelessly name-drop his stories about being friends with Owen Wilson. This is the first time I've seen him mention Wilson without explaining that.

Posted by Richardson at March 21, 2008 9:30 AM

comment #14

Richardson says ...

"Ryan Gosling"

'Fracture' blew so hard that I damn sure *hope* it was a paycheck piece. The only thing worse than actors who do paycheck movies is actors who do shitty movies but actually believe in them.

"Joseph Gordon Levitt"

You mean the bad guy from GI Joe?

Posted by Richardson at March 21, 2008 9:33 AM

comment #15

rr3333 says ...

Ryan Gosling did 'Fracture'. Lets not put these guys on such a pedestal.

Years ago DeNiro & Pacino & Hoffman only did 'prestigious' jobs. As they got older ,they got less and less picky, and started doing things for the almighty dollar. I dont criticize them for doing it, because ultimately, its a 'job' and they want to make the most money they can.

The only 'prestigious' things Owen Wilson does is for his buddy Wes Anderson. Most everything else is for the paycheck. And he commands 10 Mil a picture, so why shouldnt he?

Posted by rr3333 at March 21, 2008 9:35 AM

comment #16