MOVIE REVIEW: RUSHMORE
Having premiered in 1998, “Rushmore” is director Wes Anderson’s second feature film. This film marks the conception of a legendary cast that will remain by Anderson’s side throughout his many projects. Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Luke Wilson and Olivia Williams all join Anderson for a stylized take on a teen and his fight for love at a prep school.
Jason Schwartzman makes his film debut as Max Fisher, an ultra-confident and eccentric fifteen year old, who, according to casting director Davia Nelson, is “a teenage kid who’s really horny and writes plays.” Fisher is failing out of Rushmore Academy, a prestigious prep school in Houston, Texas. Anderson infers through a montage at the beginning of the film that Max devotes all of his time to a massive collection of extracurriculars instead of his studies. Max is actively involved in eighteen clubs ranging from being the debate team captain and editor-in-chief of the school newspaper to the founder of the Trap n’ Skeet Club and the Kite Flying Society. Max meets Herman Blume, played by Bill Murray, who is a depressed millionaire industrialist going through a midlife crisis. Each takes an interest in the other, and they form a friendship. However, conflict arises when both Max and Blume become infatuated with first-grade teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). After Rosemary doesn’t reciprocate Max’s love, she and Blume begin dating, putting Max and Blume at odds. The hijinks ensues.
I was first introduced to “Rushmore” by my dad when I was thirteen, and I fell asleep twenty minutes into the movie. A year later we rewatched it together, and it was pretty good. Wes Anderson always pulls through with visually stunning and incredibly written films; his unique style has made him one of the most influential directors today. He puts witty dialogue in the hands of talented actors who deliver their lines with near-perfect comedic timing. However, “Rushmore” is much more than an off-white comedy: it gets into some serious coming of age concepts and becomes quite emotional at times. It deals with the ideas of humiliation, youthful arrogance, depression, empathy, friendship and love. Wes Anderson takes inspiration from J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye,” with Max Fisher being a more modern version of Holden Caulfield.
If I were to critique to the film, I would say that, while it does an excellent job of introducing and incorporating some of the ideas mentioned, it could explore some of those darker themes in greater depth. The movie also loses momentum when there is an unwelcome shift in vibe during the third act, which simplifies the previously nuanced tone of the film and leads to a resolution that feels slightly contrived.
Some critics believed that Max’s “snooty” and “loud” attitude made him an unlikable protagonist, but I think that the Exeter audience will find the pretentious nature of Max as well as Anderson’s caricature of a prep school to be humorous and relatable.
If you like Wes Anderson, watch this movie. If you like “Catcher in the Rye,” watch this movie. If you like Bill Murray, watch this movie. If you like Owen Wilson, watch this movie. If you like unlikable people, watch this movie. If you like likeable people, watch this movie. If you’re not into yoga, watch this movie. If you have a lot of homework, don’t watch this movie. If you want to show a pretty lady that you’re artsy and cultured, watch this movie. If you have the hiccups, I can’t help you. If you want to be my lover, watch this movie. If you can’t pick out a movie to watch, watch this movie. If you want sad Bill Murray to watch you hook up, watch this movie. If you hate prep school, watch this movie. Or go outside.