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Wilson Is Best Man for 'Dupree'
Owen Wilson in 'You, Me and Dupree'
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Actor bares almost all in the name of comedy
LOS ANGELES --"We had this Dalmatian that we had when we were kids that my parets got us named Nutmeg," he says. "This dog was just insane and tore up everything, and my parents wanted to send it to go 'live on a farm' -- that's what they were telling us -- where it would have more space. Finally my parents began to fall in love with the dog, and Dupree has a little bit of that quality."
After losing his job and apartment -- but not his boundless optimism -- Dupree (Wilson) "temporarily" bunks at the home of his newlywed pal Carl (Matt Dillon) after performing best man duties at the wedding. Carl's wife Molly (Kate Hudson) isn't too keen on Dupree's slovenly, slacker lifestyle, especially his habit of being caught literally with his pants down.
"People would say, 'Was it hard not cracking up doing the scene where I have the sock and there is an adult-themed movie playing?'" recalls Wilson. "And I was like, 'No. It was really embarrassing.' You've got all the crew standing around and teamsters and stuff and there you are kind of simulating something that is probably not meant to be simulated in front of 50 people.
"[And there's] that scene where I run out of the house practically naked. I'm just covered by those pillows," he continues. "Yeah, this might me one [movie] that maybe I should give my mother a little heads up on. She might want to go see 'Cars' for the second time."
Despite Dupree's frequent nudity and questionable hygiene, Molly gradually warms to his sunny nature, which in turn drives the career-minded Carl crazy and threatens to ruin his fledgling marriage. Jealousy, pressures from work and Molly's disapproving dad (Michael Douglas) all come to a head and cause a rift between the newlyweds that only Dupree seems to think can be mended.
"That's what I think is kind of nice about Dupree," explains Wilson. "He definitely wears out his welcome and he doesn't have a job and he rides around on a bike, but he's not like a cynical, jaded slacker. He's got this sort of Labrador-like enthusiasm and he really does want their marriage to work out."
The actor identifies with Carl's attempts at reconcilation with Molly, and experience has taught Wilson which relationships are worth pursuing.
"Oh yeah, I've definitely had to try and win a girl back," admits Wilson. "All of a sudden you're sending flowers and you're pretending that there's nothing you'd rather do on a Sunday than go antique shopping, drive to Pasadena and hit the flea market. And usually that relationship doesn't last because there's only so long you can fake that."
In the end, Dupree's advice to Carl is to exhibit his signature "Carl-ness," basically be true to be himself, a philosophy that Wilson tries to follow.
"I think I try to find my '-ness' the way that Dupree does with, 'Stay loose, stay liquid, laugh a lot."
"You, Me and Dupree" opens nationwide on Friday, July 14.
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