Rushmore (1999)

Long, but quirky & funny

This is really a funny and at times touching film. It's a bit overlong, but Bill Murray and the other actors are great. I really liked this movie. Definately not for those that don't like to think. November 5, 2008

Good for a rainy day

Max Fischer( Jason Schwartzman) is the most industious 10th grader of all time. He has founded seemingly every club at Rushmore, a prestigious private school, where he has a full scholarship. The only problem: Max is a horrible student and is failing most of his classes. Add to the mix a pretty kindergarten teacher (Olivia Williams) that Max and one of his teachers (Bill Murray) fall in love with, and you have all the twists and turns of a high school soap opera.

I was not impressed with the ending, but at least it was realistic. Most teenagers would enjoy the goofy humor, but parents may be wary. Not a bad movie for a rainy day.

Mr.F
October 16, 2008

Sadly, this film lacks a keen sense of direction...

I am a huge fan of `The Royal Tenenbaums', but I couldn't rally behind `Rushmore' the way I thought I would. The acting was superb across the board, and the humor, when it hit, was hilarious; but there was just something about this movie that didn't sit well with me. I found myself wondering where this movie was going; what point it was trying to make. There are many scenes where it feels like this movie doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be. Is it a comedy, is it a drama, is it an intellectual farce, is it a tearjerker; is it neither? I found the contemplation of the films intent to be tiresome and draining and thus I found my feelings for the film in general to be rather indifferent.

I wanted to like this movie, but I didn't.

The film tells the story of Max Fisher (an outstanding Jason Schwartzman), a young fifteen-year-old who is just making it at Rushmore. He is failing everything yet his indulgence in extracurricular activities keeps him active in the school. He's fallen for the young widowed teacher Rosemary Cross and become friends with Rushmore alumnus and industrial tycoon Herman Blume. When those two friendships cross paths though, Max's world comes crashing down on him.

`Rushmore' is heralded by many as a near masterpiece and is placed alongside classics like `The Graduate' as one of the best coming-of-age stories out there, but I sorely disagree. What `The Graduate' has that `Rushmore' lacks is a common strain of thought. Instead of focusing its attention on a primary subject, `Rushmore' seems to barely find its footing, skirting along various focal points, never really settling down to uncover the meat of the film. I found some of the performances to feel disjointed from the film because they seemed to be from a completely different genre. Case-in-point; Schwartzman is purely comic while Olivia Williams is pure drama. There is a scene where Max confronts Rosemary about his feelings, and her response seemed so unnatural when taken in the context of the film; it just didn't flow.

Bill Murray is the only actor who actually `gets' it. His delivery is comic, yet in that subtly dramatic way (as he was in `Lost in Translation') and it seems to elevate each scene he is in. He plays Herman with the perfect mixture of misery and humor. His performance is so good that I'm appalled he was denied an Oscar nomination, despite his winning several critics awards. This isn't to say that Schwartzman and Williams aren't wonderful (Schwartzman is really at the top of his game, and the character fits him like a glove; and Williams is very moving in her scenes and understandably endearing) I just feel that they contradict one another in their approach to the material.

I can see why some adore this film, for it has its moments of quirky delightfulness, but in the end I feel that it misses what it was striving for and winds up being less than one would expect. If it had some better direction maybe, or any direction, the film would have realized its potential and made good use of its stars. I'll admit that the final Vietnam War themed school play was a hoot, but for the most part I found myself to bewildered to enjoy the humor. September 19, 2008

My Experience with Rushmore

Rushmore is a great film and ultimately one of the best examples of Indie Auteur Wes Anderson's work. This copy of the DVD is a great value for the $10 but isn't really enough for the true fan which I suggest the Criterion Edition.

The film is a great coming-of-age story as any of the other reviewers will tell you. Some of the other reviewers report Anderson defining the rules of film making which is highly debatable, as I haven't seen anything that strikes me as vividly as films by other film makers like Jim Jarmusch. This film is Anderson's first break out and perhaps his most original and interesting as if you've seen this one you'll easily recognize the style and humor in the rest of his films as he does not deviate much from his success but I do feel this film is important in the cannon of American independent film.

The performance by Bill Murray is my favorite, other viewers report this showing his largest range of emotion but I find it sticks to sarcastic quips and subtle humor but doesn't develop as much as his later films. This was his first real turn to the actor we see him as today lining him up for Broken Flowers, Lost in Translation and Life Aquatic. I do love his role and think he holds some amazing lines in the film. Jason Schwartzman is great and seeing him early in his career gives the audience a chance to see his development into the actor he's now known as.

The film itself is a comedy about a 15 year old in prep school, based largely on Anderson's experience with prep school himself which brings a personal touch to the film that helps develop the lead into a believable character. The humor as others have mentioned is sarcastic and subtle but the soundtrack brit-invasion as Anderson is known for and the movie is worth seeing especially at the $10 value. I feel the film gets a little more credit than it deserves but in all is a good watch. August 25, 2008

Coming of Age, and All of its Pain and Glory

Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson wrote and created a film that is profoundly rich in its portrayal of multifaceted characters, three lonely and wounded people. I have seen many coming of age films, from comedies to dramas, from "Welcome to the Dollhouse" to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". "Rushmore" is one of my favorites, a total standout with its own unique flavor and style. It is at times dark, quirky, funny, joyful, heartbreaking, and triumphant.

I can't imagine this film without Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. They are both so good here. You can't help liking them, loathing them, pitying them, laughing at them, cheering for them, and hoping for them to find some thread of happiness. They start out friends, then enemies, then friends again but stronger. This film really is about friendships.

Max Fischer is easily one of the most fascinating and interesting characters I have encountered in the movies. He is a creative dynamo and yet he is flawed and vulnerable. Max is (pardon all the adjectives) witty, cruel, clever, resilient, funny, dangerous, foolish, brilliant, lonely, formidable, and damaged. This is not a character you've seen before in a film.

I was particularly impressed with one friendship in "Rushmore", which was that of Dirk and Max. I felt their history together; you just know they've been buddies for a long time, and have had many schemes and fun times... and when there was a big rift between them, I actually was hoping that their bond would not be broken permanently.

When it comes down to it, this is (for me) a love story about a young man and the time of his life. Rushmore is more than a school to Max, it is a time. I remember that time in my life, and I think that the fact that it has to end or change is rather sad and unfair (but inevitable). It's a heady time with so many things going on: changes, self image issues, first loves, learning, socializing, making mistakes, friendship, creating, failing, fighting, and slowly beginning to discover your place in life. "Rushmore" captures a genuine taste of this time.

I really wish "Rushmore" had become a TV series, an hourly 'dramedy'. It has a perfect setting and characters for that. The film left me wanting to see more stories involving Max and his world. June 18, 2008

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