I'm always amazed when I see a film and I can say, "I honestly wouldn't have added anything to that movie to perfect it any more." As an amateur filmmaker often guilty of hubris, I'm very critical of most current films by young filmmakers. Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, however, are two enormous exceptions to this rule. They've made a brilliant film that rises above all my expectations. "Rushmore" is the best movie with an adolescent protagonist since "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." It's not strictly a movie about high school, however; it's more about the vitality of youth and the allure of a man who truly knows what he wants to do. What Max Fischer wants to do is lead a fascinating life, and that's exactly what he does. Neither about "geek chic" nor "teen angst," the theme of the film is "accomplish your dreams."
The wonderful thing about this film (as well as Anderson and Wilson's first film, "Bottle Rocket") is the balance of understated humor and delightful over-the-top action. The humor isn't based on jokes, but on interesting and believable characters who don't fit into the real world's mold of a successful human. Max is a metaphor for the voice inside our heads who gives us these wonderful ideas--ideas that never work in the real world. They don't always work in his world, either--in fact most of the movie consists of him failing miserably at one thing after another--but when they do, it's nothing short of miraculous. Max makes plenty of mistakes, but he tries so many times that his successes far outweigh most people's. A good point there.
The wonderful thing about this film (as well as Anderson and Wilson's first film, "Bottle Rocket") is the balance of understated humor and delightful over-the-top action. The humor isn't based on jokes, but on interesting and believable characters who don't fit into the real world's mold of a successful human. Max is a metaphor for the voice inside our heads who gives us these wonderful ideas--ideas that never work in the real world. They don't always work in his world, either--in fact most of the movie consists of him failing miserably at one thing after another--but when they do, it's nothing short of miraculous. Max makes plenty of mistakes, but he tries so many times that his successes far outweigh most people's. A good point there.