The film star Owen Wilson is channelling Bob Ross, the late, legendary 1980s TV painter beloved by millions, in a new film called Paint due out next month. Ross, labelled the king of kitsch, was the star of The Joy of Painting on the PBS channel from 1983 to 1994, winning fans with inspiring sayings such as: “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” Wilson plays Carl Nargle, a television art instructor who loves telling everyone how to paint dreamy landscapes (just like Ross). Nargle’s TV stardom is eclipsed, however, by a younger rival called Ambrosia Long, played by Ciara Renée. “Vermont’s number one public television painter is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van and fans hanging on his every stroke… until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) Carl loves,” says a voiceover in the film trailer. Sounds ominous, so lets give the final word to Ross: “Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds. Yeah, they’re birds now.”
