From Woody Allen to Wes Anderson: Owen Wilson’s 10 best movies
Known in popular culture for his signature “wow”, Owen Wilson is a beloved actor with a unique vocal range that sets him apart from any other actor in the industry. Making his name in a variety of Hollywood comedies including Wedding Crashers, Starsky and Hutch and The Internship often alongside his friend and longtime co-star Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson has also enjoyed a career collaborating with filmmaker Wes Anderson.
Appearing in eight of the director’s feature films including Bottle Rocket, The Darjeeling Limited and The French Dispatch, Wilson has brought a consistent spirit of humour and enthusiasm to every Anderson film he appears in. Having been roommates with the iconic director in their youth, the actor recalled to Indiewire in 2021: “It does seem amazing when you say it’s been almost 30 years since Bottle Rocket. You hear yourself saying … stuff that you remember like your parents saying, ‘It doesn’t feel like that long ago.’ In my mind, I feel sort of the same”.
Having been a staple of Hollywood for over 25 years, Owen Wilson has become a cult favourite thanks to his unique comedy delivery and general lust for life. Having worked with the likes of Wes Anderson, Ben Stiller, Paul Thomas Anderson and Woody Allen, let’s take a look back at the ten best performances of Owen Wilson’s career so far.
Owen Wilson’s 10 best movies:
10. Starsky and Hutch (Todd Phillips, 2004)
Having since moved on to ‘bigger and better’ things, director Todd Phillips started his career in comedy, enjoying success with the likes of Old School, The Hangover and Starsky and Hutch starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.
An undoubtedly silly throwaway comedy, Stiller and Wilson work excellently alongside each other in their efforts to elevate the script above its worth, salvaging the film from imminent failure. Starring alongside Snoop Dogg, Jason Bateman, Vince Vaughn and Carmen Electra, Starsky and Hutch exists in a realm of puerile comedy that no longer exists, strangely its existence is missed.
9. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014)
A forgotten great of Paul Thomas Anderson’s modern career, Inherent Vice stars Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Michael K. Williams and Owen Wilson in a comedy crime drama.
The first-ever cinematic adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel, some of the brilliance of the book is indeed lost in translation, but Inherent Vice induces a hallucinogenic euphoria as we navigate the world of cults, hippie culture and conspiracy theories. Wilson plays Coy Harlingen, a husband who has fled from his wife in an unlikely role that well captures a rare dramatic side of the actor that we too infrequently see.
8. The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, 2007)
Venturing worldwide as Anderson finds much enjoyment doing, The Darjeeling Limited takes the director’s colourful style to India, following the story of three brothers trying to reconnect with each other following the death of their father.
A charming film elevated by the performances of Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, The Darjeeling Limited adds to the directors continuing filmography that concerns itself with stories of troubled families and rekindled relationships. Capturing a strange nostalgia for the spirit of travelling, as well as those that we leave behind in our wake, Owen Wilson provides the standout performance of the three lead actors.
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson, 2004)
Disliked upon its initial release, Anderson’s fourth feature film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou has since claimed a lively cult following with the iconic red beanie donned by the main cast becoming a mark of cultural status among an eclectic youth.
The bombastic tale follows an oceanographer, Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) who plans to enact revenge on a supposedly mythical shark that killed his partner. Rallying an eccentric crew of characters to help him, Owen Wilson plays Ned Plimpton, a lifelong fan of the explorer who enthusiastically lends a hand in the operation. As hilarious and endearing as ever, Owen Wilson delivers a standout performance in Wes Anderson’s troubled film.
6. Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001)
Arriving onto the scene at a time where the essence of the blockbuster comedy had yet to be established, Zoolander helped to bring a new sense of silliness that has since come to define much of modern comedy, from the likes of Step Brothers to Brooklyn 99.
Following the lives of eccentric fashion icons, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) and their bizarre embroilment with the assassination of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the film, directed by Stiller himself, would be the perfect conduit between the nineties and noughties comedy. The iconic walk-off showdown between Zoolander and Hansel has firmly cemented its place in popular culture thanks to Owen Wilson’s energetic portrayal of the eccentric character.
5. Meet the Parents (Jay Roach, 2000)
Whilst there were certainly many noughties comedies that took their inspiration from the lowest rung of the slapstick ladder, Meet the Parents is one of the few that still holds up with thanks to an impressive cast including Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Owen Wilson among others.
Stiller plays the lead, Greg Focker, a nurse who meets his girlfriend’s parents before they are due to marry, before becoming suspicious of her intimidating father (De Niro). Owen Wilson appears as Kevin, a lost love of Greg Focker’s girlfriend who De Niro’s Jack Byrnes still holds a fondness for. Though Wilson’s role is only small, he remains one of the film’s most memorable characters due to his hilarious chemistry with Robert De Niro.
4. The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson, 2021)
The latest effort from Wes Anderson is a mixed bag, a loving, plodding travelogue of ideas and concepts that just about comes together thanks to some excellent performances, especially from the ever-endearing Owen Wilson.
Separated into three main stories, with the supplementation of a couple of other short tales, The French Dispatch constantly fluctuates in quality as it flicks through its varied content. The very best of these tales is the short appetiser that features Wilson on his poetic travels riding a charming red bike. The perfect canapé to kickstart Anderson’s pleasurable journey, Wilson’s Herbsaint Sazerac takes to the streets of the fictional French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé and deconstructs its nuanced beauty from the eclectic individuals who occupy its streets to the range of animals who reclaim it at night. It’s a total joy.
3. Wedding Crashers (David Dobkin, 2005)
Owen Wilson is no doubt best known for his comedic roles and there is no better genre film from the actor than Wedding Crashers, a hilarious – if slightly dated – comedy starring Wilson alongside Vince Vaughn, Isla Fisher, Rachel McAdams, Christopher Walken, Bradley Cooper and Will Ferrell.
The most iconic of Owen Wilson’s matchups with his co-star Vince Vaughn, the two actors collaborate with faultless chemistry as two shameless friends who crash weddings to seek relationship success. A highly enjoyable comedic romp, Wedding Crashers takes you on a wild ride involving constant cameos and set pieces that heighten in hilarity as the film goes on. It’s all led by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn’s ceaseless charm.
2. Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson, 1996)
With humble beginnings, Wes Anderson wasn’t able to imprint his elaborate creative vision that we know so well today on his debut film, with the lead actors having to make up for the otherwise simple tale.
Certainly capturing his idiosyncratic sense of humour and stunning photography style, Bottle Rocket’s three main leads Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson and Robert Musgrave lead the film from the front and elevate it beyond its simple script. The story itself follows three normal men who plan to pull off a robbery and go on the run, though thanks to Wes Anderson’s deft touch, is really about the enduring value of friendship above all.
1. Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen, 2011)
Often discussed as the greatest Woody Allen film of the contemporary era, Midnight in Paris revolves around the musings and adventures of writer Gil (Owen Wilson) as he explores the fantasies of Paris.
A clever modern-day fantasy, Wilson’s character finds a portal into 1920s Paris where he meets his artistic heroes including the likes of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and others. Along his journey, he gains a new perspective of the realities of his own life with the casting of Owen Wilson being the perfect choice for the role, inviting sympathy with his boundless allure and humour. Without Wilson, the film could easily fall into parody.
