Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller have worked together many times in the past few years, from 2000's Meet The Parents to 2001's Zoolander. Their sixth collaboration, the big-screen adaptation of the 70s crime drama Starsky and Hutch, opens on Friday, March 5th. Despite their irresistible on-screen chemistry, Wilson and Stiller have very different reasons for working together.
Wilson attributed it to the fact that "you want to find people that you believe in." In Stiller's words, "I just can't find anybody else to work with." It's this dry and deadpan sense of humor that runs through their movies, and throughout their own personalities, as heard during a conference call during their national press junket for the blockbuster comedy.
They fielded questions on wide-ranging topics. Stiller talked about the dynamic of Starsky and Hutch on both the TV show and the movie, saying "I don't think they were as delineated as characters on the original show," in reference to the thought that his uptight portrayal of Starsky in the movie would more fit the Hutch on the TV show. He later said that the progression of the characters in the movie leads to the show: "They become the Starsky and Hutch characters you would see on the TV show."
In general, during the call, Stiller kept a dry sense of humor but answered the questions as best he could. Wilson was more laid-back, getting questions about a possible sequel to his first big film, Bottle Rocket, or about who he would side with for the presidency (for those curious, it's Democrat John Kerry). Stiller was much more broad in his answer, making up a slogan for a nominee: "Elect me, I'm not Bush."
Making a movie, funny or not, set in the 1970s will always draw questions about the period itself. Wilson said the best part was "the attitude towards relationships in that time." Stiller enjoyed the "not politically correct attitude," having to do with cops. And of course, there's always the wardrobes to talk about. Wilson called it "nightmarish to have to see Ben wear those pants every day."
And of course, when you're in a movie starring infamous rapper Snoop Dogg, there's bound to be questions. Wilson and Stiller both seemed to enjoy working with him. Stiller said, "He's totally comfortable in his own skin. He's a very warm guy. I really enjoyed being around him."
The biggest problem with making a movie based on a TV show, especially one not as well known among college students, is whether or not everyone can be pleased. The test screenings and recent sneak preview seem to have calmed Stiller, who said, "I was actually surprised that people who didn't know the show enjoyed it as much as they did."
And with the continued influx of movies based on TV shows (there's a Bewitched movie with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell coming soon), would Stiller or Wilson be intrigued in doing other similar projects? In the words of Ben Stiller, "I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 'Simon and Simon' movie, but I don't want to get my hopes up." Guess that means we can only hope for a Starsky and Hutch sequel.
Josh Spiegel is an entertainment reporter for the Web Devil. Reach him at Joshua.Spiegel@asu.edu
