One of contemporary cinema’s most successful actors, Owen Wilson has won great acclaim for his memorable turns in such films as “The Wedding Crashers” and “Marley & Me.” This year, he will star in three consecutive major studio releases – Columbia Pictures’ “How Do You Know,” Warner Bros.’ “Hall Pass” and Disney/Pixar’s “Cars 2.”
In “How Do You Know” where he so-stars with Reese Witherspoon, Wilson plays Matty, major league baseball pitcher who, on the surface, is every girl’s dream. Handsome, charming, funny, athletic, famous, and rich, he doesn’t take anything too seriously – or even the least bit seriously. Especially his relationships – with his choice of women, why should he? And Lisa (Witherspoon) is just another girl he can have a good time with… until he starts to develop stronger feelings. “He starts to see what makes her unique, and he falls for her,” says Wilson.
“There’s no question that he falls in love,” says writer-director James L. Brooks. “But he falls in love in a different way than any regular Joe would.”
Matty might seem to be a bit of a cad who plays the field, but Brooks says he operates according to a strict code. “He always tells the truth,” says Brooks. “He’s not conniving, he’s not lying, he’s not sneaking around. He has a code of ethics, and his code of ethics is to tell the truth.”
When he goes all out – or, at least, as far out as he is capable of going – to win her, so rock solid is Matty’s confidence that even a potential rival, George (Paul Rudd), enters the picture, he remains unshakable.
“Matty is such a sweet guy, but he just isn’t very aware of what people around him are thinking and feeling,” says Witherspoon. “To Matty, life is a party, and he wants Lisa to be part of the party and not bring him down. He never asks Lisa about herself – whereas George wants to know everything about her and wants to help her, even though he has troubles of his own.”
“And as I started writing Owen Wilson’s character, I had more fun with the character than I imagined – and I changed the story to make him a central part of the plot,” reveals Brooks.
“The best way I can describe Matty is happy-go-lucky. He doesn’t want to complicate things,” says Wilson. “At first, Lisa’s just another girl – he’s just out to have a good time. But that changes as he hangs around with her more.”
“If Matty is not having a great time in every minute of his life, he feels wildly uncomfortable,” says Brooks. “How many women have known a Matty, where they know at that moment that they fall for him that it may not mean anything to him?”
Brooks has had a long relationship with Wilson. “When I met Owen, I was producing `Bottle Rocket.’ He was living on the floor with his brothers and Wes Anderson and the other actors. He’s very gifted – this character has to drive every scene he’s in and be exuberant at every moment. He can’t have someone set up the joke and then counter-punch the comedy – he has to give himself his own setups. And he does it brilliantly. There’s never a minute when he’s not giving you world-class reaction shots.”
Opening soon across the Philippines, “How Do You Know” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.
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