Rushmore
Composite Score: 82.83
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Seymour Cassell, Brian Cox, Mason Gamble, Sara Tanaka, Stephen McCole, and Luke Wilson
Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, High School
MPAA Rating: R for language and brief nudity
Box Office: $17.20 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Rushmore is Wes Anderson’s second feature film, following the story of Max Fischer, a driven high school student at Rushmore Academy who falls in love with a teacher and whose life then spirals out of control. It features Jason Schwartzman in his first film role as Max, carrying the film with a combination of boyish charm and immaturity. As a high school romantic comedy, Rushmore stands out by featuring a teacher as the object of the protagonist’s unrequited love, allowing the film to explore both adolescent and adult romantic relationships, juxtaposing them against one another for full comedic impact. It’s a film that, while consistent with many of Anderson’s stylistic sensibilities, focuses more on its writing than some of his more recent outings, making it one of the writer-director’s most engaging films without a whole lot of visual artistry.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Some people will no doubt take issue with the film’s decision to center its action on a teenager attempting to romance an adult. Because Ms. Cross does not receive a whole lot of screen time outside of interactions with Max and Mr. Blume, the audience is forced to see her actions and motivations from the flawed viewpoints of those two characters, making her out to be potentially more predatory than she truly is, at least to audiences only watching what happens on-screen. I would argue that, based on her continued rejection of Max and her decision to end things rather quickly with Mr. Blume, Ms. Cross is in fact not at fault in any of the on-screen interactions and is instead a victim of two mildly deranged romantics. The true knock here is not against the nature of Max’s desires but against the film’s decision to allow Ms. Cross to remain an ambiguous figure with minimal agency.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
One of the things that stands out so often about Wes Anderson’s film’s is his ability to bring about optimistic endings no matter how absurd and/or dark the rest of the film ends up being. This remains the case for Rushmore. Though it winds its way through teenage desire, heartbreak, and newfound motivation, juxtaposed against adult apathy, lust, and disenchantment, the film finds its way to an ending that puts a nice bow on the stories of all of its characters, finding them in places that feel fitting to their character arcs throughout the film – a testament to Anderson’s storytelling capabilities. Though some viewers might take issue with Anderson’s brazen optimism, I find it refreshing that he manages to tell such a melancholy story that still winds up with a “happy” ending of sorts. It’s a reminder to the audience that things won’t always remain this way, and even if they don’t work out exactly as you had hoped, you can still end up where you are supposed to be.
Rushmore’s characters lend weight to its story, helping make its ending and the journey to it engage the audience for the full film. Max is the caricature of an overachiever and underachiever at the same time – going above and beyond in any and all extra-curriculars while failing every class he is in at the same time. He’s a ridiculous protagonist that works within the framework of Anderson’s and Wilson’s story. Ms. Cross (Olivia Williams), though limited in her agency, works as this manic-pixie-dream-girl/intellectual goddess hybrid, engaging the interest of both Max and Mr. Blume while ultimately rejecting both of them in favor of an external player. Mr. Blume (Bill Murray) serves as an ideal foil for Max, having achieved great wealth and success but being fully burnt out and disinterested in it all, only being driven to action by the urging of a weird teenager. The unsuccessful love triangle between these three central characters forms Rushmore’s backbone and truly creates a unique story for the audience to enjoy.
Uniquely engaging characters and a story that engages with reality while bending itself toward optimism are the hallmarks of any Wes Anderson film, and Rushmore has them on full display, bringing the audience in and giving them a truly wonderful experience in what is certainly one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Though its female lead ends up with a somewhat muddied character and limited agency, engaged viewers can still see the ways that the film seeks to discourage the actions of both Max and Mr. Blume toward her and enjoy the film in the process. This film is currently available to rent on most streaming services. Definitely check it out if you haven’t.
