Review: Rushmore
Wes Anderson Season 2008: Part 2
This is the film that kicked off my little Wes Anderson season. It’s one of my favourite films. I watched it first back in 1999 when it first came out (well, first came out in the UK anyway).
It’s difficult not to love this film. From the early wide-angle shots of Max Fischer’s (Jason Schwartzman) various school clubs (Rushmore Beekeepers, as an example, even play a small role later in the film), to the closing Vietnam-based play that he stages (complete with helicopters and explosions) Fischer’s character is one that’s easy to warm to. Similarly, Bill Murray’s Herman Blume is a weird and sometimes pretty nasty piece of work, but his general ineptitude and disrespect for his money, position or children is hugely charming.
The third lead character, Ms Cross (Olivia Williams), the object of Herman and Max’s attention generally has to take a slight back seat to allow the competition between the two male characters to take centre stage. Max’s affection towards Ms Cross is beautifully drawn as being entirely blinkered, ludicrous, temporary, but also heartfelt, as a 15 year old boy’s love is. Herman’s love is exactly the same, as a middle-aged man’s love is.
In some ways this film is an archetypal ‘two men fight for the affection of one woman’ film, but this is not what you could call archetypal. Between Max and Herman’s attempted creation of huge multi-million dollar aquarium, through Max pretending to be injured so he can climb Romeo-style through Ms Cross’s bedroom window, the basic underpinning of the plot is there merely to support the flights of fancy that reflect Max’s ambition and imagination. You can almost choose your own message from this sometimes pretty mysterious film. However, one I often come back to is the fact that a 15 year old boy’s imagination, unemcumbered by the realities of the world (represented by Herman) are a magical, if ultimately transitory thing. In the end, there’s nothing wrong with reality or imagination.
So Rushmore’s a coming of age drama, and it’s a comedy, and it’s a love story. But in the end, almost everyone I know that’s seen it has taken something slightly different from the often enigmatic plot, and that makes for one special film.
Next: The Royal Tenenbaums.
Yedna said,
28 March, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Excellent summation. I agree that there’s something for everyone within Rushmore. The fight montage for Ms. Cross’ affection between Blume and Fischer is just a bonus. The great montages Anderson throws in really pull the picture together. The school club montage, the aquarium/fitness montage and Fisher’s making himself at home in public school are my favorites. I always think about that Cousteau quote Max finds in the library book “When one man, for whatever reason, has an opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” In a way, Cousteau is the patron saint of blogging.
minifigpootles said,
31 March, 2008 at 7:09 am
It’s the montages that really make this film, and contain most of the best moments of humour.
And you’re right, Cousteau really is the patron saint of blogging :o)