Rushmore (1998)

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Wes Anderson (written by) &
Owen Wilson (written by)

Release Date:

5 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

"She was my Rushmore"

Plot:

The king of Rushmore prep school is put on academic probation.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | Prep School | Friendship | Student | Private School

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 13 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Jason Schwartzman	...	Max Fischer
Bill Murray	...	Herman Blume
Olivia Williams	...	Rosemary Cross
Seymour Cassel	...	Bert Fischer
Brian Cox	...	Dr. Nelson Guggenheim
Mason Gamble	...	Dirk Calloway
Sara Tanaka	...	Margaret Yang
Stephen McCole	...	Magnus Buchan
Connie Nielsen	...	Mrs. Calloway
Luke Wilson	...	Dr. Peter Flynn
Dipak Pallana	...	Mr. Adams (as Deepak Pallana)
Andrew Wilson	...	Coach Beck
Marietta Marich	...	Mrs. Guggenheim
Ronnie McCawley	...	Ronny Blume
Keith McCawley	...	Donny Blume

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baytown, Texas, USA

Company:

American Empirical Pictures

Trivia:

Before Max's play "Heaven and Hell" began, actress Alexis Bledel of "Gilmore Girls" (2000) can be seen sitting in the audience.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At one point a reporter is interviewing Max Fischer with a tape recorder. As he's holding it up to Max to speak into, it is very obvious that the tape recorder is not moving, the wheels inside are at a standstill.

Quotes:

Herman Blume: Come work for me.
Max Fischer: What do you mean?
Herman Blume: I mean I-I could use someone like you.
Max Fischer: Look, I may not be rich, Mr. Blume, my father may only be a doctor, but we manage.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Here Comes My Baby

Speechless: One of the All-time Great Films

There's no real reason to critique this film because it's as close to perfect as any movie can get. Plus, it has been reviewed over 500 times on this site alone.

One important aspect of this film, which is overlooked in practically every online review that I've read, is Wes Anderson's nod to the world of J.D. Salinger. The parallels between Holden Caulfield and Max are numerous, and when considered in light of THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (with its scenes at the museum and the b.b. gun battles), the canon of Wes Anderson is one that has been greatly colored by the imagination of J.D. Salinger. From Max's red hat to his expulsion, the film touches on many ideas from THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Thematically, the works are quite similar and share an idiosyncratic mood.

The other great influence on Wes Anderson, which is even more obvious to any student of film, is the work of Hal Ashby. In particular, the symmetry of Hal Ashby's shots in films like HAROLD AND MAUDE and BEING THERE. Watch RUSHMORE followed by HAROLD AND MAUDE followed by ROYAL TENENBAUMS followed by BEING THERE and you'll completely understand this sentiment.

Where will THE LIFE AQUATIC fit into this equation?!?!?