Dallas-born Owen Wilson has been in a lot of beloved movies, from Bottle Rocket (shot here in Dallas) to Shanghai Knights to Cars, so it's not easy to pick five films everyone would agree are his "best." Nonetheless, here are our five favorites:
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Armageddon
Armageddon marks one of Wilson's rare appearances in a sci-fi action film. Though it's a more action-oriented movie, Wilson brings many of his comedic sensibilities to the film, including great comic relief that aids in keeping up the fun tone. Additionally, Wilson has great chemistry with the film's cast, including Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Steve Buscemi.
The Night at the Museum Series
Night of the Museum franchise offered Wilson two opportunities that he'd rarely done: playing a supporting character and being in a family film. Wilson crushes the role, adding some funny moments to the series that don't just pander to kids and working well alongside Steve Coogan. Unlike many family films, Wilson doesn't hold back in his humor. It was also an opportunity for Wilson to embrace his Texan roots as the gunslinger Jedediah.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
In another strong collaboration with director Wes Anderson following Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenembaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a hilariously quirky film. Anderson crafts a clever story with sharp humor and subtle social commentaries populated with interesting and unique characters that inspire great performances from a talented cast, including a great side role from Wilson as yet another character caught in madness.
Zoolander
Zoolander was an early hit for director/star Ben Stiller, who crafted a witty film that satirizes modern politics and model culture and creates some incredible characters, including Owen Wilson's Hansel. Wilson serves as a great antagonist and side character for the film, and has a great onscreen dynamic with Ben Stiller's titular character.
Midnight in Paris
Topping the list of Owen Wilson films is his collaboration with legendary director Woody Allen in the romantic comedy Midnight in Paris. Wilson uses his comic abilities to create a great character in Gil, a struggling author that dreams of living in a different era. There's a lot of comedy in the film, but it also has a much more intimate and dramatic tone, combining the quirks of a Woody Allen film and fitting it with Wilson's sensibilities as an actor.
