‘Paint’ is dry Review | Bob Ross satire film lacks texture

By GRAYSON BANNING contributing writer

“Paint” is a film that lacks a sense of identity, compelling acting and a strong storyline.

Britt McAdams wrote and directed “Paint,” which released in theaters April 7. This new comedy features a cast of Owen Wilson as the main character and includes supporting actors from various backgrounds of film and TV experience. For Wilson, this movie’s far fetched compared to his other films like “Zoolander” and “Wedding Crashers.”

First, I must mention the elephant in the room. This film’s main character, Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson), is inspired by Bob Ross. Carl’s presence on screen is similar to Ross, radiating a sense of calm paired with a giant perm, however, that’s where the similarities end.

I couldn’t pinpoint what theme this film was going for. It desperately wants to be a comedy but fails to include any laugh-out-loud moments.

For example, he’d been painting the same picture of Vermont’s Mount Mansfield for years on his show. He’d done this to impress Dr. Bradford Lenihan (Micheal Pemberton) who oversees the Burlington Museum of Art. Carl’s reason for doing this could be boiled down to the fact that he just wants to feel appreciated for his work, hence why we see Carl using different women as his muse.

When Ambrosia entered the picture as the better artist, Carl’s ego was threatened. I loved seeing the dichotomy between Carl and Ambrosia’s art. If this movie had anything going for it, it was the competitive nature of two artists battling it out for glory, so much in fact, Carl proposed an idea to his producer of a bidding war for the artists to paint a portrait of a loyal viewer.

Tony, the station manager, decided to go through with the idea, which led to Carl surpassing Ambrosia for raising the most money. His job was easy. All he needed to do was paint a simple portrait of an elderly viewer named Bridget. Instead, he painted a picture of Mount Mansfield-- shocker.

In the opening, we’re introduced to Carl and the show he hosts on PBS Burlington called “Paint.” The show’s a carbon copy of Ross’ “The Joy of Painting.” Carl’s ability to hypnotize viewers into a state of relaxation is what made him a success; however, this success would soon be taken away by another painter named Ambrosia (Ciara Renne). Unlike Carl, Ambrosia’s youthful and willing to experiment with what she paints. After bringing in better ratings, Carl’s let go by the station’s manager, Tony (Stephen Root).

With seemingly everything taken away from him, Carl’s self-discovery story came to light. His behavior toward those who surrounded him wasn’t admirable. Carl up to this point in the film was mistreating women, narcissistic and inflexible. Though, I was excited to see how Carl would change his fate. But, I was still frustrated with the discombobulation of the storyline. This film doesn’t follow a classic narrative structure. Instead, the motif is that of throwing senseless scenes together and calling it a film.

For those who are suckers for love stories, “Paint” has your back. Carl and his co-worker, Katherine (Michaela Watkins), were former lovers that split due to Carl’s overwhelming fame. At the time Carl’s show first got big, his suave stoner vibe was a big hit with the ladies, but Katherine felt betrayed as Carl stopped paying attention to her. In a way, I wasn’t too shocked when Katherine decided to cheat on Carl with a Vermont Mountain Express driver (Ryan Gaul). She wanted to be loved by Carl, but he didn’t show up when he needed to. When Katherine admitted to cheating, Carl remained narcissistic and slept with Wendy (Wendi Mclendon-Covey) as revenge.

This romance story was a rare bright spot for the film. It gave Carl’s character a sliver of depth as Katherine’s the only woman he truly respects. Carl’s misogyny toward female characters isn’t something to be inspired by. Unfortunately, he uses his fame and charisma to exploit women for sex instead of treating them as equals. However, it’s obvious that Carl’s a lost man with low self-esteem.

This scene had the most meaning out of the entire film because it showed Carl being stuck in a fantasy world. Carl was so convinced that a painting of Mount Mansfield would land him in the Burlington Museum of Art, that he forgot how to acknowledge people outside of himself.

Don’t worry, Carl’s character grows by the end of the film. Katherine realizes she made a grave mistake by cheating on Carl all those years ago. At the same time, Carl also has a moment where he realizes he never stopped loving Katherine. Carl finally got a chance to put his ego behind him by filling in for Ambrosia’s show. Instead of going with his usual style where he paints Mount Mansfield, he portrays a message of love to Katherine by painting a portrait of her posing in the back of his van. It was loving Katherine that gave him passion and creative ambition.

Carl finally corrects his abysmal fate by finding love. It’s a touching ending that was somewhat abhorred by weird events. Carl decided to fake his own death and move to a lake house with Katherine. PBS Burlington used Carl’s “death” to sell one of his paintings for a mass amount of money. Then, they took the money and used it to save the station from monetary woes. These events are a perfect summation of a weird plot.

I can honestly say this is the worst movie I think I’ve ever watched. A drab storyline complemented by a weird script isn’t my idea of what makes a successful movie. Not to mention, this movie was a disservice to the greatness of Bob Ross. I said it once and I’ll say it again; this movie should’ve never been made.

CONTACT Grayson Banning at banningj@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.