Dude, where’s my life?
No, I’m not talking about the new POWER RANGERS or CHIPS movie.
I’m focused on WILSON, a movie based on a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes.
Here crusty, lonely, hilariously honest middle-aged blowhard Woody Harrelson sets out to track down his ex-wife Laura Dern.
So far, so good.
But now discovering that he is in fact the father of a daughter he thought was aborted 17 years earlier puts a whole new dimension into his insanely offbeat life.
Of course, he first has to find her—a task that turns from hilarious to touching on many levels as he tries desperately to connect.
You can imagine how everything is about to come to a boil.
To suggest that Woody Harrelson steals the show is a given, but not completely fair to a fine supporting cast.
Laura Dern as his much flawed ex nails it. And Isabella Amara playing the chubby daughter Wilson never knew he had plays it spot on.
Rounding out the ensemble are Cheryl Hines as Stern’s straight-laced sister and Judy Greer, Wilson’s dog sitter.
Some of the scenes in the film make you feel uncomfortable, as will the dialogue.
Still it’s a great character study perfectly executed by Harrelson who just last year gave us a flawless performance in THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN.
And while WILSON may not be for everyone, its uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted ways will please his scores of fans just as they did attendees at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where the film became a crowd favorite.
After all, Wilson is a people person….with shades of Jack Nicholson’s ABOUT SCHMIDT thrown in for good measure.
WILSON opens this weekend in limited runs.
My grade: B
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 9:40 a.m. during Kansas City’s Morning News on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.
