Owen Wilson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

4. Dignan - Bottle Rocket (1996)

Bottle Rocket may not have been a movie that raked in big bucks, but the positive critical reception it received helped to propel both its director Wes Anderson and star Owen Wilson into the limelight, with neither of them having looked back since. It's in this feature film debut that Wilson demonstrated his enormous acting potential: displaying an acute sense of comic timing and pitch-perfect delivery alongside his brother Luke, playing bumbling wannabe criminals Dignan and Anthony. Dignan thrives on planning heists, and conjures up a plan to earn huge amounts of cash over a period of 75 years - eventually recruiting a getaway driver named Bob because he's the only person he knows who owns a car. Bottle Rocket is sharp, unique, and very funny, with Wilson himself driving the picture from beginning to end - contributing to the script and production as well as starring. Following his part in Bottle Rocket, Wilson established himself as a core member of Wes Anderson's carefully chosen acting elite, with the director finding a role for him in Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic Of Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.