Reviews of the Past: My First Anderson

From November 5, 2007:

Rushmore was next up in the magic Netflix queue, no doubt inspired by all of the quirky movies I seem attracted to and have seen recently or want to see. I was glad to add it. I have wanted to see this movie for a long time. I hear nothing but raves about it, and, believe it or not, I had not seen a Wes Anderson flick prior to picking this one up. Hey, I'm trying, ok? I want to make myself worthy of being called a "Spout expert" to all of the 13 people who believe it to be true (suckers....JK!!).

But seriously. Having now taken the plunge, I don't know where I sit with regard to this movie. I can't say I really loved it. I can't say that it had me rolling on the floor in fits of laughter. I can say that I loved its thumb-its-nose take on the traditional teen flick (but I still added it to the Forever Young list), but I can't say that this was a masterpiece, at least not in my reckoning. I have read some of the reviews, and now I feel like I have missed some sort of revelation that I was supposed to receive from watching this movie but somehow failed to achieve. Thoughts?

Jason Schwartzman plays Max, a prodigy of sorts and sophomore at Rushmore Academy, who risks expulsion due to his almost obsessive love of extracurricular activities. I mean, he really likes clubs and activities, and his time is spent almost exclusively on these pursuits. That is, until one day, when in the library, he locates a book with an inspiring quote and tracks down the source: Miss Cross (Olivia Williams), Rushmore's first grade teacher. Max's obsession shifts to pursuit of her affections. In the meantime, Max has befriended an eccentric millionaire/tycoon and Rushmore parent, Mr. Blume (the fabulous Bill Murray) after he gives an offbeat, anti-establishment speech at start of term. This kindred spirit takes to Max and his lofty ideas, until, through mutual enjoyment of Max's inspired school production of Serpico, he encounters Miss Cross. A bizarre love triangle forms, and Max and Mr. Blume engage in all-out war. Not before Max finally gets expelled after trying to build an aquarium on Rushmore's baseball diamond in dedication to Miss Cross. He is then forced to attend the local public school, as he clings to the offerings of Rushmore Academy and the hope of one day attaining the requited love of Miss Cross, all while ignoring the genuine affections for him displayed by a public school classmate.

This movie was incredibly witty, but not laugh-out-loud funny. It was almost satirical in its way. I thought Bill Murray was fabulous; I mean, he really has mastered the art of subtlety, and this film predates Lost in Translation. The best scene in my opinion was when Mr. Blume first engages in battle with Max, visits the public school, and deliberately runs over his bicycle. That was one of the only scenes that had me rolling with laughter because it seemed so quintessentially Bill Murray and his comedic style, yet it fit perfectly within the odd framework of this film.

Jason Schwartzman was also pretty fantastic. I liked how he maintained a faintly disturbing pathos of obsession while also seeming sweet and misunderstood. It was as if he broached the line of creepy without really crossing it, and that lent itself well to the eccentricity of the character.

The entire film was very original and fresh, even for 2007. In fact, I found myself drawing comparisons and parallels to Napoleon Dynamite; now I see where some of the inspiration for that film can be drawn (and, for the record, Rushmore did it better).

I still can't cry "masterpiece!" though. Perhaps, and just perhaps, it's because I find that Max, a potentially relatable character whose coming of age, a difficult trail off the beaten path of regular maturity, and his journey could also have been unsuccessful, even tragic, though his myopia was meant to be the heart of comedy here. Perhaps, it's because I have met Max (or a slimmer, less fictionalized version of his otherwise made-for-film character) with similar tendencies, an individual who has taken darker roads in life and has not ultimately learned his lesson. Or, perhaps, it's because I was expecting more moments that made me genuinely laugh rather than leave me bemusedly engaged. Another reviewer hit it on the head more articulately and succinctly: there was a strain of melancholy, and it was this melancholy that had me troubled. The film was so absurd, the melancholy seemed out of place, even as commentary. I don't even know if I'm making sense, but there you have it.

And maybe I'm not making sense. I still think the film is very good despite this minor flaw. Since the flaw may solely be mine, I'll give it an 8.5 (between minor flaws/very good and perfectly entertaining). I might want to watch it again in the future and see if I like it better, but until if and when that occurs, it does not pass my test. That does not mean I will not give Wes's other films a try...my queue is chock full of them, and I'm ready for the experience. I guess I'm just wondering why I didn't think this was a better film, as others seem to think. I may never have the answer.