100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 131: Rushmore

Director: Wes Anderson

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 93 minutes

Year: 1998

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, Andrew Wilson, Connie Nielsen, Seymour Cassel

Description: Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a precocious 15-year-old whose reason for living is his attendance at Rushmore, a private school where he's not doing well in any of his classes, but where he's the king of extracurricular activities. His life begins to change, however, when he finds out he's on academic probation, and when he stumbles into love with Miss Cross (Olivia Williams), a pretty teacher of the elementary school at Rushmore. Added to the mix is his friendship with Herman Blume (Bill Murray), wealthy industrialist and father to boys who attend the school, and who also finds himself attracted to Miss Cross. Max's fate becomes inextricably tied to this odd love triangle.

Review: The story of Max isn’t a very extraordinary story. The story of a boy who wants to be an adult, but isn’t. Max actually discovers that something like growing up, hardly exists. And this makes the story of “Rushmore” very extraordinary. Because of the person Max is, because he’s everything but ordinary. It’s Jason Schwartman’s debut role and a bright future is ahead of him.

Max is a typical teenager with feeling of insecurity and he hates studying. How this is worked into the film, is a-typical. Max creates his own ‘grown up world’ by starting all sorts of communities and groups and begins friendships with actual adults. For example Miss Cross, who Max falls in love with. Miss Cross is older and falls for the charms of Max’ other friend Herman Blume. But Miss Cross finds out that he’s just as childish as Max is. Because Herman Blume is still stuck in his teen years, makes him equal to Max. Even when they are fighting for the same woman, they can’t live without each other. The only difference is that Max intends to grow up eventually and Blume knows that, despite all his money, he can’t take on the world.

Director Wes Anderson gives the film a fantastic atmosphere. By using bright colors and still moments, the films has a calm and observing character. An excellent example is the scene of Blume jumping in a pool at his twin sons birthday party. This atmosphere make the experience very relaxed and the introvert acting fits it perfectly. Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray are the stars and shine in every scene. Olivia Williams also does a great job.

I’ve become a big Wes Anderson fan over the years and this, as one of his first films, is going on my favorites list.

Rating: 5/ 5