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Notes:
Rushmore Academy 10th grader Max
Fischer is no academic ace, but he is nevertheless staunchly devoted
to his prestigious school. Max is so enthusiastic he even insists
on being the head of practically every extra-curricular activity,
from the debate team, to the dodgeball society to the language
clubs.
Comedy - Rushmore is a very oddball comedy from the makers of the film
Bottle Rocket. Fans of that earlier film will certainly enjoy
the quirky humor and unique characters; those unfamiliar with the film
can probably best compare it to some of the films of Joel and Ethan
Coen (Fargo, The Big Lebowski) in terms of tone. Fans of
Bill Murray will probably also enjoy his performance, though it is
slightly more serious than usual. Very funny, but perhaps too dry and
off-beat for viewers who prefer their comedy more raucous or conventional.
PROFANITY: Strong and moderately frequent SEX/NUDITY: No nudity or explicit sexuality; some suggestive content VIOLENCE: A couple of punches thrown DRUGS/ALCOHOL: A few scenes of alcohol consumption, including by an underage boy ACTION: War scenes during a stage play COMEDY: Lots of character-based comedy
Wes Anderson has the kind of comic sensibility that keeps you
watching just so you can see where he goes next. His follow-up to 1996's
Bottle Rocket is a truly unique tale of a 15-year-old student at
a prestigious boys' school who turns his crush on a teacher into a
war with a middle-aged school benefactor. It would have been easy enough for Anderson to turn the film into an
ever-escalating, bigger-must-be-funnier battle of pranks. Instead, he
spends plenty of time getting us inside the messed-up heads of his two
central characters. With a foundation in those two marvelous characters, Rushmore is free
to let its comedy swoop from the sublime to the ridiculous, with plenty
of wonderful stops in between.
Be sure to read the
DETAILED OPINIONS
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helpful when selecting a movie that's appropriate for you and your family.
Max Fischer (JASON SCHWARTZMAN), a 10th grader
at Rushmore Academy is currently: editor of the school newspaper
and yearbook; president of the French Club, German Club, Chess
Club, Astronomy Club; captain of the fencing and debate teams;
founder of the Double-team Dodgeball Society; and director of
the Max Fischer Players, for whom he writes and produces plays
about police corruption, inner-city violence, war, etc. He is
applying for early admission to Oxford. (Harvard is his safety.)
He is also one of the worst students in the school and has been
placed on sudden-death academic probation.
Max falls in love with a first-grade teacher named Miss Cross
(OLIVIA WILLIAMS), and uses all of the resources at his disposal
to try to win her over. He develops a plan to construct an aquarium
at the school in her honor, and goes to one of the school's benefactors,
a steel tycoon named Mr. Blume (BILL MURRAY), to raise some seed
money. Max and Blume become good friends, but two unfortunate
events follow:
1 . Max gets expelled from Rushmore for attempting to build the
aquarium on the site of the school's baseball diamond. And,
2. Blume falls in love with Miss Cross, as well, triggering a
war between Max and Blume in which Max will use all of the resources
at his disposal to try to destroy his friend.
