MCM: Owen Wilson – Frock Flicks

Owen Wilson isn’t the name you would associate with historical flicks, but he’s actually been in quite a few over the course of his career, so let’s take a look!

Shanghai Noon (2000)

Total guilty pleasure of a flick, it’s the first team-up of Jackie Chan an Owen Wilson. The film itself is of questionable quality, but their chemistry is undeniably great.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Something about cowboys and Owen Wilson, right? As I wrote in my Wes Anderson article, The Royal Tenenbaums has a bit of a murky timeline, but most folks agree that it appears to be set in the 1970s. Owen plays Eli Cash, a family friend of the Tenenbaums.

Shanghai Knights (2003)

The follow-up to Shanghai Noon reunites Roy O’Bannon and Chon Wang in London, England six years after they first team up. Hilarity ensues.

Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Owen Wilson plays opposite his real life brother, Luke, playing the Wright Brothers, in this adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

As I wrote in the Wes Anderson article, there’s really no definitive date for this film, but it aesthetically references the late 1970s, so it goes on this list!

Night at the Museum (2006) and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

Another cowboy role! Owen Wilson played Jedediah Smith in both Night at the Museum and the sequel, Night at the Museum: The Secret of the Tomb.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

I’m including this one because even though Owen doesn’t wear historical clothing himself, the major plot point of the film takes place in the 1920s where everyone else is wearing historical clothing.

Drunk History: John Harvey Kellogg (2013)

Brother Luke teams up with Owen again in the Drunk History episode “Detroit,” playing brothers Will Keith and John Harvey Kellogg, respectively.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Owen Wilson plays M. Chuck, a concierge at the hotel, and member of a fairly fascistic secret society, the Society of the Crossed Keys, in this Wes Anderson film set right before the outbreak of World War II.

The French Dispatch (2021)

Owen Wilson plays the cycling reporter, Herbsaint Sazerac, who has to be number one on my list of best character names ever. Yup, it’s also discussed over on the Wes Anderson article!

Paint (2023)

Ok, so Paint isn’t technically historical, but I would be remiss if I didn’t include Owen Wilson’s nearly spot-on homage to Bob Ross.

Which film is your favorite Owen Wilson historical costume film? Tell us in the comments! And now, I’m off to re-watch Zoolander!

More Frock Flicks

Tags: 1870s 1880s 1920s adapted from books Drunk History (2013-19) great hair Midnight in Paris (2011) one of Sarah's weird obsessions Owen Wilson playing fast & loose with history shaddup I love Wes Anderson films The French Dispatch (2021) The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Victorian Wes Anderson World War II