"She's my Rushmore, Max." -Herman Blume
In regards to creative people who begin their careers on such a high note, there's always that fear of what some call a "sophomore slump". With "Bottle Rocket", Wes Anderson showed such immense talent and promise for a first time director, it would seem his next film would definitely have big shoes to fill. What Anderson came up with is "Rushmore", an incredible film that further cements his early visual flair as well as his almost play-like style of storytelling, "Rushmore" would not only prove that Wes Anderson was here to stay, it also was a launching pad for the career of Jason Schwartzman as well as the "second coming" of comedy genius Bill Murray.
Our story begins by introducing us to 15 year old Max Fischer (Shwartzman), a massive overachiever in every extracurricular activity offered at Rushmore Academy, yet has some of the worst grades of any student to have ever passed through its doors. Max loves Rushmore and has devoted nearly every waking moment he has to it. During an assembly, Max is introduced to Herman Blume (Murray). Blume is a successful businessman and former Rushmore alumni . Right from the start, Max and Herman have a mutual respect for each other. Max admires Herman's success and Herman envys Max's cockyness and genuine enthusiasm for life. Here we have what has become one of Anderson's strongest storytelling devices, the companionship that can form between people from a broken or ignored family system. Max seems ashamed of his meager means and constantly mentions his father as being a brain surgeon when in fact he is a barber. Herman has a crumbling marriage and two unappreciative children that are the complete opposite of himself. The pair become fast friends within this and create their own sort of family. Alas, just as it often happens in real life, the best relationships can become tested when love comes into the picture.
Love, in this case, is brought into both men's lives in the form of Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a new teacher at Rushmore whose husband has recently passed. Upon meeting, Max is immediately smitten and takes every chance he can to make a pass at her, despite the significant age gap, obvious student/teacher taboo, and the fact that she doesn't feel the same. Realizing that his friend is just headed for heartbreak, Herman steps in and convinces Max that Ms. Cross just isn't the one for him. In the process of doing this, though, Herman also falls in love with her, which in this case, is reciprocated. The two begin seeing each other behind Max's back.
Upon the discovery of their secret relationship, Max and Herman soon go from best friends to bitter rivals, attempting to take one another down with increasingly dangerous results. As things begin to escalate, they both drive away Ms. Cross, with her pointing out that they (Max and Herman) deserve each other. Having both hit bottom, they both make attempts to reconcile with each other, as well as fix the relationships they have broken or completely ignored with those around them.
There really aren't enough good things I could say about this film. Like all of Anderson's films, it is immensely funny and forever quotable, but it is also endearing and touching. Anderson has a gift for showing that people don't have to be related to be "family", as well as that just because a family is completely disjointed or ignored, its never past repair. The movie also does its part to address loss, confusion, resentment, and redemption. Jason Schwartzman, in his first role ever, simply shines amongst several well established actors while at the same time brings a genuine sense of believabilty to his character Max. He is only outmatched by the wonderful Bill Murray, who with this movie began this amazing career resurgence within the independent/smaller scale film industry. Nearly every moment Murray is on screen is comedic gold, save for when he is showing he also has quite the serious side to display.
What we get with "Rushmore" is more than just an incredible film by one of the most original voices in cinema. Within the movie, we are treated to a wonderful tale about "growing up", how it starts in us young and continues throughout our lives. Through the film,we see the beginning of a young man's promising career and the re-emergence of one of our most beloved actors. Lastly, we are treated to a style of filmaking that combines genres and visual flair that can only be summed up as a "Wes Anderson" film.
