Year of Release: 1998
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Mason Gamble, Brian Cox, Seymour Cassel, Sara Tanaka, Stephen McCole, Connie Nielsen, Luke Wilson, Dipak Pallana, Andrew Wilson, Marietta Marich
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:
Following his feature directorial debut with "Bottle Rocket", director Wes Anderson again reunited with his writing partner, Owen Wilson, tackled "Rushmore", which turned out to be his breakout film and one of the best reviewed films from 1998. The film follows the story of Max Fischer, an ingenious and precocious 15 year old who loves to attend the private school "Rushmore". Max is involved in a variety of clubs and associations, yet performs poorly in his academic endeavors. His life changes substantially when he meets Miss Cross an elementary school teacher who starts working at Rushmore, for whom he develops an instant infatuation. He also makes friends with Herman Blume, the father of two other students going to Rushmore (twins who are rambunctious). These three get drawn to a romantic triangle of sorts, which eventually have Max expelled from his school haven, and registered into Public School. As Max and Blume vie for Ms. Cross's attention, their sabotage endeavors of each other, gets them in trouble, forcing both of them to grow up and come to terms with what they want out of life.
"Rushmore" is a smartly written film, filled with great moments not only for its lead characters, but also for the supporting ones, which add such detail and richness to what is happening on screen. While Max and his quirks, longing and ambition fill up the screen, Herman Blume and his numbness of life that is sparked as a result of his interactions with Max and his sudden affection for Ms. Cross, is the character who experiences this awakening and most startling maturing during the film. It's a film that mixes humor and drama, with just the right amount of quirkiness to make it distinct and not overly stylized (something that as Wes Anderson's career has evolved, his style has become more of a trademark, even more so than his take on characters and narrative). The cast is uniformly fantastic, with Jason Schwartzman creating an iconic character, always wearing his trademark blazer, with superb support from Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Brian Cox (who is always a genius, no matter the size of the role), Mason Gamble and Seymour Cassel. The cinematography from Robert D. Yeoman and the production design from David Wasco are top notch. It's a film that hits all the right notes, having just enough humor, cringeworthy moments, heart and lyricism, to make it a rewarding watch.
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