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Rushmore (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 80
Fresh: 69
Rotten:11
Average Rating: 7.8/10
Consensus: This cult favorite is a quirky coming of age story, with fine, off-kilter performances from Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Director Wes Anderson's follow-up to the acclaimed BOTTLE ROCKET is a funny, warmhearted, and extremely sharp American response to the English "Angry Young Man" films of the 1960s, right down to... Director Wes Anderson's follow-up to the acclaimed BOTTLE ROCKET is a funny, warmhearted, and extremely sharp American response to the English "Angry Young Man" films of the 1960s, right down to its British Invasion soundtrack. Newcomer Jason Schwartzman creates a classic protagonist in Max Fischer, a sophomore at Rushmore Academy. He excels at every extracurricular activity in school, from theater to beekeeping. Gradewise, however, he's failing. He has few friends outside school save for wealthy but depressed industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray), father of obnoxious twin boys who also attend Rushmore. Enter Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a beautiful young widowed teacher at Rushmore Elementary. While Max is immediately smitten with Miss Cross, she finds comfort in the company of the emotionally frazzled Blume. But Max won't let Blume have Miss Cross without a fight. Anderson and cowriter Owen Wilson have created a script brimming with oddball humor at the surface, but at its core lies just enough realistic pain and disappointment to create an all-too-rare bittersweet edge, striking a subtle balance that few films ever achieve, and finally giving national treasure Bill Murray the chance to shine like never before. As director, Anderson displays his exceptional talents with careful choices in color palette, effective use of slow motion to comedic effect, and, most important, a brilliant selection of offbeat songs that are integral to the story. Easily one of the finest comedies since THE GRADUATE, RUSHMORE is a monument to brilliant filmmaking. [More]
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Brian Cox
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Brian Cox, Seymour Cassel, Mason Gamble, Sarah Tanaka, Stephen McCole, Luke Wilson, Andrew Wilson, Connie Nielsen
Director: Wes Anderson
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriter: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
Producer: Barry Mendel, Paul Schiff
Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh
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Release:
Jun 29, 1999
Reviews for Rushmore
An observation on what happens when the world of children and adults collide, perfectly embodied in Schwartzman's performance.
You also have to admire the creepy arrogance of Schwartzman's performance.
Moments of classic slapstick rubbing elbows with moments of painful candor.
What I wanted was a larger perspective, something more insightful than the one-thing-after-another existential whimsy.
A wickedly funny high school comedy for most of its running time, Rushmore is a bracingly fresh and original outing.
Another quirky, hard-to-put-your-finger-on delight from the boys who brought us Bottle Rocket.
It's nice to see that there are still comedies out there that don't need to resort to gross-out humor for a laugh.
A peculiar, poignant comedy, with an outstanding character turn from Murray.
It's a better coming of age movie than anything John Hughes ever did.
Director Wes Anderson never lets the audience in as to whether he sees this story as humorous or pathetic.
This film is so not-from-the-cookie-cutter, so unaccommodating of our expectations, that we can't anticipate where Anderson's going to take us. Every scene is a discovery or sly diversion.
While Rushmore can be analyzed from many angles, I think it’s most interesting as a daring and original character study.
... a movie about overt passion -- passion that is genuine and deserved as well as passion that is a kind of mask.
Latest News for Rushmore
September 06, 2007:
Wes Anderson Giving Fans a Glimpse of Natalie's Portmans?
The Venice Film Festival is in full swing, and Time Out London is there to report on Wes Anderson's latest, The Darjeeling Limited -- not to mention the short "prequel"... More...
September 05, 2007:
RTIndie: Early Fest Reviews For Into the Wild, The Darjeeling Limited, and Margot at the Wedding
This week at RTIndie, we check out the early buzz from Telluride and Venice, where some of the fall's most anticipated indies have premiered. And our DVD Pick of the Week is a... More...
July 24, 2007:
Trailer Bulletin: Wes Anderson's Darjeeling Limited
Anyone who's a fan of Wes Anderson's perfectly quirky films (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic) should rejoice at the news that the trailer for his... More...
July 12, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: Shopgirl
MovieWeb.com is the first to offer the classy and amusing trailer for "Shopgirl," a grown-up romantic comedy starring Steve Martin ("The Jerk"), Claire Danes... More...
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