Rushmore (1998)

Let’s take a trip through the Jake Ehrlich archives and go back to 1998. I have seen some pretty good and memorable movies from that year, such as Saving Private Ryan, The Truman Show, The Prince of Egypt, Pleasantville, and American History X. And recently, I got to add Wes Anderson’s second full length feature, Rushmore, to the list. And I have to say, it was certainly a unique film experience. Like pretty much all of Anderson’s work, it’s quirky and odd but I wouldn’t expect anything less. It’s also a good dramatic tale as well. Jason Schwartzman stars as Max Fischer, a teenager at Rushmore Academy who is more focused on his extracurriculars and not his schoolwork. Accompanying him in this story, is Bill Murray as Herman Blume, a middle-aged industrialist and disillusioned parent who despises his twin sons, and eventually, befriends Max. The story takes an interesting turn when Max falls for a new older teacher and he learns that Herman is having an affair with her. Things heat up and a war breaks out between the two. Definitely an interesting storyline to say the least.

     I’ve always been a fan of Wes Anderson’s work and have an appreciation for his unique film style. When I see one of his films for the first time, I always find something to admire about them and I could do that with this one. I will admit, it’s not the best of his films that I’ve ever seen, but his stories are always something I can enjoy. The acting was great, especially from Schwartzman and Murray, who played their parts to near perfection. But I have to be honest, sometimes I wasn’t sure how to feel about Max. Like I said before, he falls for an older teacher. Okay? He’s actually a lot weirder than I am, and believe me, that’s really saying something. He can also come off as a total D-bag from time to time so occasionally, it’s hard to like him. Maybe that was the intention but I wouldn’t know. Herman was a fascinating character as well. I’ve always liked Bill Murray’s work, especially in Wes Anderson films, and he sure brought his A game to this role, showing humor and a depressed frame of mind. Everyone else turned in great performances as well, especially Olivia Williams as the teacher, Rosemary Cross. This film had a lot of Wes Anderson elements that I like to see. This includes his visual symmetry and composition, color palette, quirky characters and dialogue, set design and props, soundtrack and music, storytelling and themes, and camera movements. These are all things I can notice very easily as someone who is hyperfocused. This sort of thing actually kind of annoys me sometimes since I just want to enjoy the movie, but I am kind of thankful for it. Anyway, back to the main point, one thing’s for sure: there is no filmmaker quite like him.

     As a Wes Anderson fan, I’ve wanted to see this movie for years and now that I have, I wasn’t disappointed at all. It had everything that I’ve come to love from the guy and that was all I could have asked for. Again, it wasn’t the best of his films, but that doesn’t really matter. I thought it made for a pretty good attempt at a second feature in the man’s career and he sure succeeded in that. Overall, I’d have to give this movie an 8 out of 10. So, if you’re a fan of Wes Anderson, I’d highly recommend that you give this film a watch if you haven’t already. I can’t assure you that you may or may not be disappointed, but I’m sure you’ll find something to appreciate about it. And if you’re someone who is obsessed and fixated on little things like I am, then that’s a guarantee.