928. Rushmore

Rushmore
1998
Directed by Wes Anderson

I wasn't entirely sure that I would take to this one.  I thought the characters might be a bit too "wacky" for my taste.  Thankfully, I found the movie to be charming.  Wes Anderson seems adept at toeing the line between quirky and obnoxious.

Max Fischer is an eccentric prep school student who couldn't care less about his studies.  He is, however, obsessed with his extracurricular activities.  He is friends with Herman Blume, a successful businessman with an unhappy family life.  Max falls for the new first grade teacher, Rosemary, and quickly develops an unhealthy obsession (add it to the list).  Herman also falls for Rosemary, causing a feud.  Come on, guys.  Bros before hos.

I think the film blended comedy and drama well, but others might think it went too dark.  It certainly wasn't hilarious, but it treated serious matters with levity, which in itself was refreshing.  Bill Murray gave a brilliant, understated performance.  I was equally impressed with Jason Schwartzman; I might have to check out more of his work.

So a peculiar film but one that is worth watching.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Film debut of Alexis Bledel.

Elijah Wood auditioned for the role of Max.