How a 2006 comedy sparked a public feud with the band Steely Dan
In short: When the romantic comedy You, Me and Dupree hit theaters in 2006, it faced more than just harsh critical reviews. The film’s title character, a disruptive houseguest, shared his name with a figure from a Steely Dan song, leading to a public, tongue-in-cheek confrontation between the band and the lead actor.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the 2006 film You, Me and Dupree follows the chaotic life of Randolph Dupree, played by Owen Wilson. After losing his job and home, Dupree moves in with his friends, newlyweds Carl and Molly Peterson. His presence quickly becomes a source of friction, exacerbated by Molly’s father, Bob Thompson, who maintains a strained relationship with his son-in-law. The film’s plot relies on what critic Roger Ebert termed an 'Idiot Plot,' where characters act in unnatural ways to force comedic situations, a structure that led many critics to dismiss the film as a generic entry in the arrested development subgenre.
The film’s title became a point of contention due to its similarity to the 2000 Steely Dan song 'Cousin Dupree,' which also features a problematic, freeloading relative. Steely Dan founders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker publicly accused the production of appropriating their character's name. They sent a humorous letter to Luke Wilson, demanding that his brother, Owen, apologize to their fans on stage at a concert. Owen Wilson responded in kind, claiming he had never heard the song and jokingly referring to the band’s leader as 'Mr. Steely Dan' while pretending to promote a project titled 'HEY 19.'
Despite the negative reception from critics—Rotten Tomatoes recorded only a 20% positive rating—the film achieved commercial success. Produced on a budget of $54 million, it grossed $130.6 million worldwide. The production process was notably frantic, with composer Theodore Shapiro replacing Rolfe Kent’s original score just one week before press screenings. In the years since its release, the film has remained a curious footnote in cinema, remembered as much for its off-screen controversies and production quirks as for its narrative about a houseguest who simply refuses to leave.
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