Great Movie: Rushmore

It is a very special thing when you see yourself in a movie character. I see myself in Max Fisher, the teenage hero of "Rushmore." Max, played by the incomprable Jason Schwartzmann, is not the smartest student at his high school. But what he lacks in academic ability, he has in ambition and charisma. The movie chronicles his rise and fall and his realization of who he is. In the end, Max, like all of us, must come to terms with his natural gifts and limitations. He learns that ambition can only carry you so far. This profound insight breathed in the story written by Wes Anderson is one of the many reasons why I consider "Rushmore" to be original and provocative.

"Rushmore" is the second movie made by director/writer Wes Anderson and writer/actor Owen Wilson. Their first movie, "Bottle Rocket," is a cult favorite, but represents Anderson's formative stage. It was not until "Rushmore" that Wes Anderson really comes into his own as a director and finds his voice. His style includes gaudy dialogue, obsessive external detail of characters, the use of ambient but poignant music, and the juxtaposition of the sad with the funny and the genius with the fatal flaw. Anderson's movies are very much like a picture novel. The characters seem to be drawn in pastels while their words have the feel of a trendy literary work.

The plot is simple, yet strange. Max grows weary of starting clubs at his high school and of his dreams of being popular. He reevaluates his plans and decides to find and pursue a girl. However, a high school girlfriend his own age is not good enough for Max. He sets his sights on an odd, haunting teacher named Miss Cross. Max researches and begins to flirt with her. He finds out that she is recently widowed. In a series of scenes that transcends our traditional idea of what is age appropriate, Max persistently courts Miss Cross and, in my opinion, gets her to love him by the end of the movie. Still, the age difference is a limitation that Max must come to grips with by the end as well (Cut to the last scene and watch how Miss Cross looks at him when they are dancing). Miss Cross loves him but she will never say it out loud.

At the heart of "Rushmore" is the friendship between Max, the ambitious young student, and Herman Blume, a disaffected and depressed millionaire. Blume is played by the brilliant Bill Murray in his first serious role that has given rise to his new persona seen in movies like "Lost in Translation."Interestingly, both Blume and Max seem to be the same. They understand each other's motives and even fall in love with the same woman. The only difference between them is age. In fact, my interpretation is that Max represents Blume when he was younger while Blume represents what Max will become when he gets older. Blume is a warning to Max. He is the result of years of blind ambition: a cheating wife, 2 horrible kids, more money than he knows what to do with, and an empty, almost pointless life.

By the end of the movie, Max accepts his fate in the world. He is the son of a barber, not a neurosurgeon. His talent, which stems from his ambitious rise and fall, is putting on plays and sharing his views of life, not becoming President or a diplomat. His sweetheart is a smart, caring classmate named Margaret Yang, not a teacher twice his age.

"Rushmore" is a master work of mainstream independent film. In addition to being rich in life lessons, it is also very funny (imagine a kid talking on equal terms to adults). It is a must see for fans of Wes Anderson and for fans of good movies.

5.0