Rating: 
Summary: Of RuShMoRe and RoSeMaRy
Review: "Rushmore" so obviously wants viewers to enjoy themselves that the film will register with many as very good entertainment and little more. Persistent viewers find that "Rushmore" is also a film of rare meticulousness, in which something as seemingly minor as a school teacher's classroom number, on screen for about 2 seconds, may resonate on three distinct levels. "What is this movie doing, how, and why?" is a question some viewers are unlikely to ask of any film, but for those so inclined, "Rushmore" provides an embarrassment of riches in return. The storytelling style of "Rushmore" is highly elliptical; what it doesn't show is frequently as important as what it does. We don't find out that the barber cutting Max's hair is his father until Max produces a failed geometry test and dryly intones, as though asking for a little more off the sides, "By the way. I need your signature on this," establishing in one deft stroke Max's alienation from his own background. Later, though we see Margaret's remote-controlled airplane arrive and depart from where Max and Dirk are flying a kite, Margaret herself is shown neither arriving nor departing: she is simply and suddenly present on the tarmac. Likewise, her presence in Max's heart will be noticed by him in the course of this scene with the same abruptness. What makes "Rushmore" so moving is that within its ingenious technical framework, beneath its beguiling artifice beats a whole community of hearts. Everyone in the movie is a person, frequently a deeply damaged person defined in some way by death. Max, who lost his guiding light when cancer took his mother 8 years before, is a young man of protean ambition and perfect self-absorption who fails to realize his weakness until he's run out of people to hurt. Herman, whose great professional success in no way helps the part of him stuck in Vietnam, is permanently estranged from his wife, his sons, hope and life itself. Rosemary has pledged eternal devotion to a deceased lover who is incomparable to anyone except -unfortunately for all- 15 year-old Max. Though nominally a comedy, the film manages a tonal breadth equal to that of any film one might care to mention- from the giddiness of first love to the blankness of the umpteenth heartbreak, and everything in between, without grinding a single gear, probably because sadness is latent in even its funniest moments, and humor lights the edges of even its most depressive ones. By the end of the film and the sublimely off-kilter "Heaven and Hell Cotillion", featuring Django Reinhardt's balmy guitar, it seems as if the director is gathering all of his characters together one last time to make up, in some small way, for all the trouble they've gone through. The "Cotillion" seems to exist, as well, to allow the audience one last chance to bask in redemption, and watch reconciliation flow like wine before returning to a real world where both are a good deal more scarce.
Rating:
Summary: ahhh......criterion
Review: I would like to start off by saying, what an excelent film. It shows the struggles of growing up, trying to find where you belong, and falling in love. All of those things in one film, and to highlight them so well, shows only the immense talent of Wes Anderson and the cast.
This DVD is amazing. Only Criterion could to this movie the justice it deserves. There is nothing else to put on this DVD. Except for maybe Wes Anderson's telephone number.
If you buy this movie, buy the Criterion edition. It maybe pricey, but its worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: A quirky, exhilirating, fun, and insightful film.
Review: ....this is definitely my favorite film of the 90's hands down, nothing can compare and that's the truth. The storyline's very original, and I can definitely relate to Max's character, and his situation both at school and at home, and with Bill Murray as well. Every single role in this movie was absolutely beautifully performed, and the casting was perfect. This movie left me feeling very exhilirated, and it's definitely the kind of quirky upbeat picture that can really have an effect on your perceptions. This is a movie for eccentrics, I unfortunately have to say that not everyone will like this movie, in fact I'd venture that most people who saw it did not appreciate it and people who will see it in the future won't either, but this is a masterpiece, and that's not arguable. I'd stress *everyone* to at least see this movie, after that form your own opinions and judgements, and decide if it's something you enjoyed or something that you absolutely detest (as with this movie it seems to be one of the two extremes all the time, I havn't seen much middle ground). If you enjoyed it, I salute you, and kudos on having some excellent taste. ... On a side note, the soundtrack to this movie was absolutely spectacular, and I encourage any fans of the film to look into it. Ciao.
Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: i can't believe i haven't seen this movie until now! what a great, great movie this was. as soon as you think you have it figured out and pinned down, it changes into something completely different from what you had expected. i thought it was hilarious how the children are treated just like adults, as real characters in their own right. the dialogue was often old hollywood-style, and to see it delivered by a 15 year old kid and his 11 year old sidekick was just enormously funny. i didn't understand all the negative reviews, just let your preconceptions go and try to dig what the artists are saying. i will say, the final images of the film show the true meaning of the whole thing--the very last image. keep it in mind!
Rating:
Summary: genius
Review: This film stands out so well among the trash movies coming out lately. Wes Anderson is a breath of fresh air in the movie world. Bill Murray is a perfect match for the part he played as is the main character, Max Fisher, played by Jason Schwartzman (who is Francis Coppola's nephew and who also fronts the band Phantom Planet). Owen Wilson co-wrote this movie with Wes Anderson. He was in Meet the Parents, Shanghai Noon, and one of Anderson's other films, the Royal Tenenbaums (which is also very good). This movie is sort of dark, all though it doesn't try to be. It is also quite moving, which is very rare in a comedy. Some people may not like this movie and will probably watch ten minutes of it then run out and rent American Pie, but if you can handle it, Rushmore is a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: you always had a way with words, magnus
Review: i'm tired of hearing people say in these online reviews, "well it's only for some people" or "you have to have such and such a kind of humor to really enjoy this movie." oh give it up already! if you didn't come out of watching this movie with at least a smirk on your face chances are you're a really stupid person.
i keep hearing wes anderson movies being touted as another case of the emporer's new clothes. you're probably also the guy back in the junior high who asked the english teacher, "did they really mean to put all that extra stuff into the poetry? i think english teachers are seeing stuff that isn't there." welcome to the adult version, just sort this list of reviews by lowest rating first and you have those annoying little slow kids who held the rest of the class back.
am i being overly harsh? perhaps. but it's in response to people saying those of us who enjoy mutli-faceted art are pretentious or deceptive. if you really aren't bright enough to understand this movie, best to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, etc.
Rating:
Summary: "She's my Rushmore."
Review: Step into that ackward time in life when one's feelings were as expansive as the skies above Rushmore Academy. Meet Max Fischer (played with great verve by Jason Schwartzman), and experience through his eyes the enthusiasm of a young man driven by his dedication for the school that later dismisses him, the unrequited love of a lonely first grade teacher (the lovely Olivia Williams of "The Man from Elysian Fields"), and the disillusionment (and later, the value) of relationships - namely that of his friend Dirk at Rushmore, and the miserable millionaire (Bill Murray). NOT the expected prosaic tiresome coming-of-age story with sight gags and crude jokes, rather this is a witty offbeat approach (by Wes Anderson - "The Royal Tenenbaums") to that time in life that empowers, disappoints and inspires us. The Criterion Collection - Rushmore is well-constructed DVD, well worth it, also added are some hilarious shorts and extras.
Rating:
Summary: Max Fischer scores big, Criterion earns extra credit
Review: I fell in love with this movie when I first saw it in Februrary 1999. Seeing it again on this superb DVD immediately rekindled that romance. Great performances, pitch-perfect script. The characters seem to inhabit a parallel univserse, a more innocent, gentile and slightly fable-like universe where the most important things are extra curricular activities and building an aquarium for the woman you love. Sure, director Wes Anderson rips off a wide range of artistic influences, ranging from THE GRADUATE to THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. But the irrepresible, fun-loving spirit of the hero Max Fischer (played by newcomer and Francis Ford Coppela relative Jason Schwartzman) makes it all seem somehow believable and puts a smile on your face. Make sure you buy the Criteriion edition DVD. It has lots of extra goodies, like a great commentary track by Anderson, co-screenwriter Owen Wilson and Schwartzman; a making-of-the movie documentary; interviews with Anderson and Bill Murray by the PBS robot Charlie Rose; plus the priceless MTV shorts Anderson made which spoof other 1998 movies like THE TRUMAN SHOW and OUT OF SIGHT, the best movie of that year.
Rating:
Summary: Sharp Little Picture
Review: Max Fischer tells us that the secret of life is to find something you enjoy and do it for the rest of your life. For Max, it was going to Rushmore. For Herman Blume, it was a never ending quest to find "his Rushmore". And that is the basis for the sophomore effort from director Wes Anderson and his screenwriting partner Owen Wilson. A good part coming of age story of both young and old and part dry comedy, Rushmore excels on every level with an outstanding ensemble cast, a obscenely witty and smart screenplay, intricate set design, and the perfect 60s Mod soundtrack of coming of age music.
Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a middle class teenager who gained a scholarship to the prestigious Rushmore private school (he wrote a one act Watergate play in the first grade) and he's a star in dozens of extra curricular activities which have a negative effect on his class work. Max's chapel partner Dirk Calloway seems to be Max's only real friend and acts as Max's assistant (because you need one when you have ambitions like Max does). Max is able to have a incredible clout at Rushmore and he's skirted around the grades issue before by sweet-talking his way with the administration. Enter Henry Blume (Bill Murray) a wealthy industrialist whose sons are idiots, marriage is falling apart, and he's enamored with Max Fisher because he seems have the self contentment Blume can only dream of. They enter an unlikely friendship where Max is the son Blume never had and Blume is the man with the pocketbook who can help Max's over ambitious projects come to fruition. One catch, they're both in love with the same woman, Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a widowed elementary teacher at Rushmore. We're never sure why anyone here would really be attracted to each other but that adds to the fun. The film is quite endearing, which is carried by the amazing performance of Schwartzman whose Max will one minute have you pity him and the next mad as hell. Max's ambitions early in the picture are all of triumph, but soon they get out of control and he's lost. Our 3 central characters are all alone but seem to continuously destroy their relationships with each other because they seem to be afraid to be happy. The sad soul lying underneath the film makes the character's final triumph all that much more sweet. Before the end Max has to allow himself to find his "Rushmore" outside of his former school, Blume needs to come to terms with his middle age monotonous life, and Miss Cross needs to move past her deceased husband. Only one man can make this happen and that's Max Fischer who ultimately does this through the help of Dirk and the new girl in his life Margaret Yang at his new school, Grover Cleveland, who like Dirk has appreciation of Max's mass aspirations. At any point Anderson and Wilson could have let their story tread into standard coming of age ground but throughout it stays fresh and vibrant. We have to tip our cap to Max's glorious ambitions because we'd never have the audacity to even think about such things while Max acts on them. Bill Murray brings in the performance of his career as he manages the bulk of the deadpan humanity of the picture that is slapped on every frame. Like Max, we don't know why we should even care for this man but we do, and the same can be said about the picture in general. We're not sure why we like it, but we do.
Rating:
Summary: Earnest
Review: Among the many virtues of the film "Rushmore", perhaps the most significant is it's stance against irony and malaise. The film portrays the coming of age of an adolescent who at the start of the movie has a firm grasp and understanding, however naive or innocent, of the world around him. That world is soon shattered by a series of events and circumstances (ie. falling in love, betraying and being betrayed by friends) that leaves him confused, lonely and alienated. It would have been understandable for the character, as he is thrust into a foreign and hostile new world, to disengage and develop a sense of irony and world-weariness. But as his understanding of the world grows richer, his approach remains earnest and hopeful and he lives in his new world with the same relish he lived in his former, more innocent one. The sentiment is as touching as it is refreshing. More films should be this earnest. The voiceover commentary alone by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson is worth the extra price of the Criterion version of this film.
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