Rushmore

Rushmore is a highly original film about unfulfilled promise, loneliness, and people with exuberant energy who are completely unfocused. It is a film I didn't care for... more >

Rushmore is a highly original film about unfulfilled promise, loneliness, and people with exuberant energy who are completely unfocused. It is a film I didn't care for on first viewing (I thought the characters were simply awkward constructs of the writer/director), but decided to see it again after having enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums. This time I definitely felt much more in tune with the director's bizarre brilliance.

Rushmore is about Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), an unusual high school student who underachieves in classes at Rushmore, an exclusive prep school, and is under constant threat of expulsion because he spends all of his time a litany of extracurricular activities. With Max, Wes Anderson has developed a character that is highly intelligent, very creative, yet a lonely underachiever unable to deal with the expectations of society (similar in a way to Donnie Darko, another character who is brilliant yet unfocused).

Max becomes infatuated with pretty first grade teacher Rosemary. Cross (Olivia Williams), and enlists the aid of his friend Herman Blume (Bill Murray), a millionaire industrialist, to build an aquarium at the school in Ms. Cross\'s honor. By forgetting to tell the school administrators about the aquarium, Max is expelled from Rushmore and attends the local public school. He goes into virtual combat with the much older Blume, determined to conquer his foe and win his lady's hand.

Rushmore is very human and charming. Max reminded me a little of myself at a point in my life that I was able to laugh at my own vanity and pretensions. With great performances and an outstanding soundtrack, Rushmore is a thoroughly engaging film from a director who, for me, fits the phrase "comic genius".

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Film Details

Cast

Seymour Cassel, Jason Schwartzman, Olivia Williams

Technical Details