Movie Review

'Paint' is dry and dull despite comedic touches by Owen Wilson-led cast

There are plenty of movies whose meaning can be enigmatic. Sometimes the filmmaker sets out to make an “art film,” where the imagery is often more important than the story. Other times, they tell a story that’s so complex, it’s almost impossible to decipher what the overall message may be.

And then there are films like Paint, which seem straightforward on the surface, but become more puzzling as they go along. As the film begins, Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson) is a beloved painter/TV host at a PBS station in Burlington, Vermont. The crew – comprised mostly of women – at the station fawns over him, and viewers are shown to be enthralled by his supposed brilliance.

His life starts to get shaken up when station manager Tony (Stephen Root) and aspirational producer Katherine (Michaela Watkins) bring in Ambrosia (Ciara Renée) for what is initially a complementary painting show. Slowly but surely, though, the crew and viewers start to transfer their affection to Ambrosia, leaving the long-tenured Carl in a crisis of confidence.

Written and directed by Brit McAdams, the film never makes clear what it’s trying to be. Since it stars Wilson, Root, Watkins, and Wendi McLendon-Covey, comedy seems to be the priority. While there are some funny moments in the film, it is definitely not a laugh riot. Most of the humor is deadpan, with everyone acting in a similar manner to the classic SNL sketch “Schweddy Balls,” but the result is stale and boring.

Nargle is clearly supposed to be based on Bob Ross, but to what end? The blown-out perm on Wilson’s head is a great visual gag, but other than the initial chuckle of recognition, along with emulating Ross’ style of painting “happy little trees,” the purpose is unclear. Nargle is a narcissist who has let his popularity go to his head, an idea that’s antithetical to that of the easy-going Ross, but that’s a thin premise on which to put the entire plot of a movie.

McAdams also tries to make a lot of a rotating series of relationships in the film. Nargle is said to have been with most of the women at the station, but the storytelling around those flings doesn’t always jibe with how they currently act toward him. Ambrosia takes a shine to Katherine, but the approach to them being together is so haphazard that it never lands.

Each of the actors is fine in his or her own way, but none of the characters are so compelling that they elevate the film. Wilson is a skilled comic actor and makes some moments funnier than they would have been otherwise, but he’s not asked to stretch that much. Renée, best known for playing Hawkgirl in various DC Comics TV shows, has a unique energy in the film, but it’s mostly wasted in an odd storyline.

McAdams can never make a compelling argument for the story he’s trying to tell in Paint, and the film suffers because of it. Groupies of Bob Ross and/or PBS programs in general might find a particular pleasure watching it, with everyone else left to wonder why it was made in the first place.

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Paint opens in theaters on April 7.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Owen Wilson in Paint.

Bob Ross Paint Movie film movies

The grass will be greener

AT&T Stadium glows pretty in pink as World Cup field takes root

Dallas Stadium pitch for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Photo courtesy of FIFA

Grass grow-lights suspended from the ceiling at AT&T Stadium are turning the pitch pink.

FIFA officials unveiled the soccer pitch taking shape at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for 2026 World Cup matches, and the most noticeable feature is that it's ... pink. At least for now.

Much like pink-hued LED lights that make indoor gardens grow at home, giant grow lights have been suspended from the ceiling to promote photosynthesis, as the stadium's retractable roof does not allow enough sunlight for grass to grow.

The innovative roof-suspended light system (which allows for lights to be raised or lowered) is the first of its kind for FIFA, says Ewen Hodge, FIFA World Cup 2026 head of pitch infrastructure. AT&T Stadium is the only 2026 World Cup venue employing the technology.

FIFA pitch, Dallas Stadium The lights are suspended on 18 rigs, which can be raised and lowered over the field.Photo courtesy of FIFA

"They've never been hung from the ceiling before," Hodge says. "Typically these systems have a set of wheels that they're wheeled in and out of the facility and these are able to be lifted up, and that means that we have one less thing on the field."

For soccer newbies, the "pitch" is the official term for the rectangular field where a match is played. And in FIFA World Cup world, that field is real grass - not the artificial turf that the Cowboys play on. It is 105 meters by 68 meters, which roughly converts to 115 yards by 75 yards.

Pitch prep at "Dallas Stadium," which AT&T Stadium will be called during World Cup, started about two months ago, Hodge says.

They started by installing ventilation and irrigations systems above the stadium's concrete floor, then laid down several inches of sand to support the natural grass surface - a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass grown and shipped from Colorado, he says.

Dallas Stadium, World Cup pitch The pitch is a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass, and there's a layer of sand underneath.Photo courtesy of FIFA

Nylon fibers are being stitched into the grass using specialized machinery to help reinforce the field.

A team of about 25 workers is mowing and irrigating daily, Hodge says, to ensure the grass will be ready and healthy for the first game (Netherlands vs Japan) on June 14. During matches, the grow-lights will be taken up 290 feet into the ceiling so they will not create sight lines, says Tod Martin, general manager of AT&T Stadium.

Between the nine matches that will be played at the stadium, the grow-lights will come back down from the ceiling, and grass will be fertilized, monitored for diseases, and adjustments will be made.

"We always say that our days from the pitch management side are busier than a match day," Hodge says. "On a match day, we're doing a mow and getting the line marks out there, so it's the final touches so we're ready for the game."

Dallas Stadium, World Cup pitch Nylon fibers are being stitched into the grass using specialized machinery to help reinforce the field. Photo courtesy of FIFA

Maintaining a grass standard across all venues for the World Cup tournament is a major challenge due to the climate differences between each city, he says.

Hodge, a New Zealand native, first visited AT&T Stadium in March 2023 to begin planning how the venue would accommodate a World Cup-caliber pitch. To gather ideas, AT&T Stadium's Martin traveled to Wembley Stadium in England, where he met with officials to learn firsthand how they manage one of the world's most famous soccer fields.

"They're impressive. It was a sight to see for sure," Martin says.

"Test games" at AT&T Stadium have been used to evaluate things like how the field feels under the players' feet and how fast the ball travels, Hodge says.

World Cup pitch, Dallas Stadium The field is longer and wider than it would be for an NFL game to allow for things like corner kicks.Photo courtesy of FIFA

By the numbers, Martin offered, the pitch at the stadium has involved 10 contractors, 45,000 man hours, 15,000 tons of materials hauled in, and 24 refrigerated trucks to transport the pitch from Colorado; the grass came in four-foot-wide rolls, 50 feet long.

The biggest installation challenges, Martin says, involved structural modifications to the stadium, including extending the field into the patio suites. "We had to take out roughly three feet in our corners to get a little bit more room for those corner kicks," he says.

After the tournament, Martin says, the grass will be taken out and recycled by a contractor for other projects.

pitch world cup arlington stadium at&t stadium fifa world cup 2026 soccer sports

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The grass will be greener

AT&T Stadium glows pretty in pink as World Cup field takes root