comment #1

The InSneider says ...

Sounds like Vulture's agent source was looking at IMDB during the interview. They cite six movies in 2007 but Luke was in 310 to Yuma (a good movie, btw) for like, 2 minutes, so I wouldn't necessarily count that one. And Vacancy was actually a pretty nifty genre exercise that spawned a direct-to-DVD sequel and led to Nimrod Antal getting the Predators gig. The agent just sounds like someone who tried to rep Luke years ago when he was hotter and got turned down, and is take the opportunity to bash the guy. He's got a solid AT&T gig going to supplement the indie movie cash, and I don't get why Vulture is basically knocking this guy for doing good work in a non-Eloi project like some of those 2007 movies. Luke seems like a guy who has grown comfortable with his place in the Industry and just wants to focusing on doing good work. If a studio movie comes along, I'm sure he'd take it if it was a worthwhile project, but I don't think he's defining himself these days by how many romantic comedies he's starring in opposite the latest flavor of the month. And he's also almost 40, so I don't see why he'd be expected to be the kind of leading man who will open a movie to big box office. Historically, that's never been his thing. I say give the guy some credit for taking a chance that paid off and actually played to his strengths...

This message has been brought to you by Middle Men, because it's either them or The Other Guys ;)

comment #2

Gordn27 says ...

yeah, 'Vacancy' was by far the best movie he did in 2007.

comment #3

pmn says ...

Did people ever really think of this guy as an "up and comer?" I mean, he's generally reasonably enjoyable to watch, but did he ever really demonstrate the kind of acting chops, box office grosses, or charisma that had people expecting big things? He tended to strike me as one of those actors who got a bit more than his fair share of work, sort of like Bill Pullman at his inexplicable peak.

comment #4

Burgus says ...

Poor Richie Tenenbaum

comment #5

Hallick says ...

Bill Pullman at least had "Zero Effect" to show what he's got to give the world, but I've never seen a single striking moment from Luke Wilson. The guy is so damned "aliright.fine.sure." he's never going to reach another level. For all I know, someday he might, but it isn't foreseeable.

comment #6

bluefugue says ...

> but I've never seen a single striking moment from Luke Wilson.

Tenenbaums, and that X-Files episode, are about the best I've seen from him.

comment #7

Scott Mendelson says ...

Yes, but he was hilarious in that X-Files episode (Bad Blood), and said episode one one of the very best of the series run (certainly the funniest). Idiocracy is some kind of brilliant travesty, a mess of a movie that's still terrifying. I'm actually kind of partial to The Wendell Baker Story. It's a sad, sobering look at how no matter how grand a life you've lived, 'every man dies alone'. Even if you don't care for Wilson, the supporting cast of elders (Kris Kristofferson, Harry Dean Stanton, Seymour Cassel) do splendid work, with an able assist from Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson (poor Eva Mendes is stuck playing 'the girl')..

comment #8

MechanicalShark says ...

I actually think it's really sad Luke Wilson's gone down the shitter like this, because I loved his performance in The Royal Tenenbaums, and he was a very good straight man in Idiocracy.

comment #9

Eloi Wrath says ...

He's alright, but he's really not good enough to be sad that his career is dipping. He's fine and everyone likes him, but nobody ever thinks "that movie would be improved if Luke Wilson was in it". He's likeable but completely non-essential.

BTW, that 3:10 to Yuma cameo was one of the more bizarrely distracting things I've ever seen. Was he friends with the director? His famous face in an otherwise inconsequential scene made it seem like his character would surface again as a crucial cog in the wheel. But he was just there, doing nothing.

comment #10

Chicago48 says ...

Don't laugh at the ATT commercials....they pay big bucks!

comment #11

SmilingPolitely says ...

Vacancy had the misfortune of being released the same week the Virginia Tech massacre occurred. I can't imagine too many people wanted to spend time in a theater watching a trio of homicidal maniacs attempt to kill a couple on that particular weekend.

comment #12

Yuval says ...

I can't understand the love for "The Family Stone". One of the worst films I've seen in a theater in the last 5 years. Awful. I just think of the scene where Keaton is crying and explaining to her deaf gay son how much she loves him in sign language and I almost find it funny.

comment #13

animal bones says ...

he's very good in 'bottle rocket' and 'idiocracy.'

comment #14

Jeffmc2000 says ...

Smiling Politely, I can't imagine having my decision about what movie I want to see affected by a random tragedy I have no personal attachment to. Do people really think that way? If there actually are people who feel things that strongly, the world must be a really intense place for them.

As for Luke Wilson, he might not have been bad casting for that Rockford Files remake NBC tried to get going last year. Better than Dermot Mulroney anyway.

comment #15

Savage Brit says ...

People wrote Stallone off and his career was much more challenged, so to target Luke Wilson for headlining a long completed film being tossed off by a troubled studio sounds like they were at a loss to fill their column with Lindsay Lohan free. Not everyone is a movie star and there's also an element of luck involved, but Luke Wilson is more than this generation's Robert Hays. He's just had some bad breaks. Had IDIOCRACY gotten the traction it deserved, the Vultures couldn't have circled. Maybe they can pick on Keifer and Robert Wuhl next. I hope Luke Wilson has a hit in his near future, as his performance in Mike Judge's movie entertained me.

comment #16

Savage Brit says ...

By the way, I wish they'd force the agents and managers they quote in these hatchet jobs to go on record as opposed to being anonymous opinions. That says it all, IMHO.

comment #17

Ray DeRousse says ...

Luke is too bland. I think he's a fine actor, and I'd really like to see him do some character work. But I don't think he's agile enough or interesting enough for leading man stuff.

comment #18

Ray DeRousse says ...

Just had a thought. Could you imagine how badly Old School would've played if Ferrell and Vaughn hadn't put in career-defining performances? It's arguably Wilson's movie, but he barely registers.

That "gosh-golly" persona he cultivates onscreen needs to go.

comment #19

corey3rd says ...

He's ready for all those Baxter roles.

comment #20

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comment #21

mizerock says ...

I still can't get over how [relatively] doughy he looked, and desperate / obnoxious he seemed in his first AT&T commercial. I just feel sorry for him. Maybe there's no reason for me to do so, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that smells the stink of Failure on him and that's just box office poison.

I'm kind of rooting for him to snap out of it, but frankly I can't even picture a realistic comeback / late-breakout role for him to take on. The best I can come up with: some sort of best-friend supporting role where he may or may not turn out to be a completely misunderstood psychopath in the later reels.

comment #22

xrats says ...

@Ray - You're so right, thinking over his career, I didn't even remember him in Old School. Every highlight in that movie comes from Ferrel and Vaughn. The only scene I can think of without them, I remember more for the nice shot of Elisha Cuthbert's ass.

Whoever said it above, he's right about him being the Bill Pullman of this generation. He's not memorable in any real way. He can hold his own in comedy or drama, but he's not a leading man. He's fine as a 2nd banana, he'll probably end up playing a lot of supporting husband/father roles as he gets older. And he'll probably do a TV series at some point, a TNT dramedy of some kind.

comment #23

Mike says ...

Gitta disagree with the majority above. This guy has something to offer and I hope he gets a chance to prove it. He was great in the Tenenbaums, Family Stone and Henry Poole. I think he just needs to find that one role that will put him over the top.

comment #24

sean says ...

Wilson boys are at it again.

Sean