Will Owen Wilson’s Troubles Make ‘Darjeeling’ Hard To Watch?

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Fox Searchlight, Independent, Comedy, Celeb News, Upcoming Releases

While at the theaters this weekend, I caught my first glimpse of The Darjeeling Limited trailer. The movie from Wes Anderson (the Royal Tenenbaums) centers around three brothers who try and bond during a train trip through India.

I’m not one who would typically turn away from a movie based on events in the news—I still watched Apocalypto despite Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks—but I must admit I squirmed a bit watching Darjeeling.  This was the film Owen Wilson was scheduled to promote around the time of his suicide attempt.

Again, I realize Owen’s personal issues should not affect my opinion of what could otherwise be a good movie.  But how could I not be distracted if I tried to sit through this film?  I’d have to stare at a character whose face is bandaged up! (Yes, I realize that’s not the part of his body I should be concerned with).  But in just that short segment, I found myself feeling very uncomfortable and sad every time he came on screen.  I felt like a voyeur studying the moments before he hit bottom.

I’m not saying I won’t watch Darjeeling—I’m just admitting that Wilson’s troubles could color my decision.  Tell me—am I being ridiculous?  Should I be making an extra effort to watch this film as a show of support?  Or am I not alone in feeling this way?

The movie, also starring Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody, opens in limited release on September 29.

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