After a relatively quiet couple of years, 2020 is poised to be a major comeback year for Owen Wilson. At least, it was until the world shut down for COVID-19. Not only will Wilson notch another collaboration with Wes Anderson this fall in The French Dispatch, but Wilson also has a rom-com with J.Lo called Marry Me in post-production, as well as a sci-fi film called Bliss expected to be released this calendar year. It's official, Wilson is back!
As we await the fate of Wilson's three upcoming movies, what better time to assess the ones he's already made? Check out Owen Wilson's 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes below!
The Wedding Crashers (2005) 75%
While it's hard to believe 15 years have elapsed since The Wedding Crashers hit the masses, it's no surprise that the film has become a bona fide comedic classic. The chief reason why? Wilson's crackling chemistry with Vince Vaughn!
The crude high-concept comedy tracks a pair of scoundrels, John (Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn), who get their jollies by attending random weddings they were not invited to in order to meet women. The ludicrous plot leads to their meeting with the Cleary family on their secluded island estate. Cue creepy Todd (Keir O'Donnell) and Sack Lodge (Bradley Cooper).
Cars (2005) 75%
2005 was a banner year for Wilson, who not only struck it big at the box-office with the R-rated Wedding Crashers but also voiced a leading role in Pixar's G-rated family film, Cars. Talk about a double dose of fun!
In Cars, Wilson stars as Lightning McQueen, a hotrod with a huge ego who finds himself out of service after breaking down in Radiator Springs. While sidelined, McQueen learns the true meaning of friends and family after he meets a ragtag group of small-town locals.
Shanghai Noon (2000) 79%
Who knew Wilson's chill brand of humor would pair so naturally and entertainingly with that of Jackie Chan in the inventive buddy-road-movie Shanghai Noon?
Apparently, director Tom Dey, that's who! The humorous western follows Chon Wang (Chan), a Chinese guard who feels responsible for the kidnapping of Princess Pei Pei. As a result, Chon travels to Nevada where he happens upon the bumbling Roy O'Bannon (Wilson), a petty thief with grand designs. The film was so successful a sequel, Shanghai Knights, was made three years later. We're still awaiting Shanghai Dawn!
The Royal Tenenbaums (2002) 80%
Wilson arguably gives his best performance under the direction of his close pal Wes Anderson in The Royal Tenenbaums, where he plays the emotionally-stunted and stoned novelist, Eli Cash.
The film follows the dysfunctional family of eccentric, intellectual underachievers led by Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), the dishonest paterfamilias. As one of the few unrelated outsiders, Cash can't quash his romantic feelings for adopted daughter Margot (Gwynyth Paltrow). Wilson co-wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay!
Meet The Parents (2000) 84%
Who can forget that smug yuppie Kevin (Wilson) in Meet the Parents, the ideal embodiment of Mr. Perfect that Pam (Teri Polo) passes over to be with Gay Focker (Ben Stiller) instead? Yeah, nearly impossible!
The hilarity of Kevin is that he's presented as being too perfect for any woman to break up with. He whittles wedding altars by hand from beechwood, for example. This sets up an uproarious compare and contrast dynamic for Pam's parents when they finally meet Gay for the first time and assess his worthiness to marry Pam.
Bottle Rocket (1996) 85%
Wilson burst onto the indie film scene alongside his friend and fellow Texas native Wes Anderson in the 1996 film Bottle Rocket, named as one of the best movies of the entire decade by Martin Scorsese. How's that for a feature debut?
The film tracks a bumbling trio of small-time crooks who concoct a dimwitted plot to rob the boss of one of the men involved. Wilson has the showiest role as Dignan, a neurotic man-child who can't quite get along with his equally inept accomplices, Bob (Robert Musgrave) and Anthony (Luke Wilson).
Wonder (2017) 85%
With Wilson's absence from the big screen in 2018 and 2019, the last impression he left us with was as the warmhearted father, Nate, in the winsome Wonder!
Costarring Julia Roberts and featuring a star-making turn from Jacob Tremblay (Room), the film tells the incredibly uplifting story of August Pullman, a young boy born with facial disfigurement. Afraid of integrating into public schools for fear of intense mockery and bullying, August is treated with anything but when he finally enrolls in the fifth grade. This movie celebrates otherness with great honor.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) 91%
As the star-studded ensembles of Wes Anderson films continue to grow, Wilson's roles directly diminish. In The Grand Budapest Hotel, for example, Wilson's role as M. Chuck is little more than a glorified cameo.
Instead, the focus of the film lies on M. Gustave, a preening concierge longing for the olden days, when he finds it increasingly difficult to keep his house in order. And by house, we mean lavish upscale hotel in war-torn Europe. As Gustave teaches young Zero (Tony Revolori) the tricks of the trade, a murder plot threatens to undermine all involved.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) 92%
Wes Anderson brought Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox to life with great verve and pathos in 2009, leaning on the likes of George Clooney and Meryl Streep to do the heavy emotional lifting. But it's Anderson's recurring cast of regulars who really make the movie sing!
Wilson plays Coach Skip in the film about a wily fox who cannot betray his nature to avoid harmful hunters. Coach Skip is a marginal player in terms of the plot, which is really about the fox's son, Ash (Jason Schwartzman), a loner who is uncomfortable in his skin. Or fur.
Midnight In Paris (2011) 93%
Wilson has rarely if ever been better than his role as Gil Pender in Woody Allen's Midnight In Paris. Somehow his laidback brand of humor is perfectly suited for the tale of Golden-era nostalgia.
While vacationing in the City of Light with his unhappy fiancee Inez (Rachel MacAdams), writer Gil stumbles on a horse-drawn time machine that whisks him back to the golden age of artistic European luminaries. Gil soon starts to hang out with Hemingway, Picasso, Gaugin, Gertrude Stein, and more, as he falls in love with the ravishing French beauty Adriana (Marion Cotillard).