This is such a smart, funny, thoughtful film. Jason Schwartzman's Max is character for the ages, the spirit of what can be, Bill Murray delivers, the story is well written, the soundtrack is great, if you like good films, check this out, as well as Royal Tennenbaums.

"Rushmore" is one of the most original American films I've ever seen. That does not necessarily make it among the best or most memorable I've ever seen (it isn't) but it is clearly one of the most original and mold-breaking excursions in comedy.

Jason Schwartzman -- Talia Shire's son -- played the lead in this 1998 dramedy as Max Fischer, a 15-year-old attending the prestigious Rushmore Academy in Houston. Max is everything -- head of the fencing team, the beekeepers, most other oddball clubs -- except a very good student. This becomes his downfall and, finally, his salvation.

There's not much point in describing what goes on in the movie, its script, or its other actors (including Bill Murray in one of those roles that defined him in middle age before his breakout in "Lost In Transition") other than to say this film merges elements of romance, teen hijinks, class warfare and derision into a stew that almost no one will be able to resist.

There is something you've never seen in a film before happening in almost every scene. While the ending is perfectly predicatable and acceptable, you'll enjoy yourself a great deal getting from the opening credits to there. It will be 90 minutes of enjoyment the likes of which you won't repeat too soon. Rent, borrow or buy "Rushmore" today and be prepared to exhibit an American original.

I am the author of
Striking It Rich: Golf in the Kingdom with Generals, Patients and Pros

Such is the epitaph on the tombstome of Max's deceased mother, Eloise. It serves as his mantra as well which he repeats in Latin ("sic transit gloria") both in life and in his final play about the Vietnam War.
Max lives for the moment because he has found where he wants to be for the rest of his life- at Rushmore- hopefully making lots of babies with Miss Cross. This is why he doesn't bother to study or do his homework (Derk: " What about the essay on the Berlin Airlift?" Max: "Oh right... I got an extension").
There is a problem with all of this scheming of course. Its called reality. Max lives in a dream world, solving geometry problems in his imagination that stumped the best mathmaticians in the world yet he can't pass a high school geometry class. Reality: its a b.tch isn't it? But Max manages to survive because he is a lover of life and a gifted manipulator with a heart for inclusion. It isn't until a chance follow-up reunionwith Margaret Yang (who is half reality-half fantasy) that he sees a workable balance (Max: "I heard on Action 13 that the Navy was going to buy your science project." Margaret: "Not any more. It was a fake. I thought it would work but it didn't so I faked the results. Anyway it was nice seeing you." ) Ah. music to Max's ear and the look in Jason Schwartzman's eye said "love". He had met his soul mate.
I know some reviewers didn't like this movie and I respect their opinions but I thought it was brilliant in almost every way. I loved the look of the film. Anderson matched the colors perfectly and used a film stock that made the blacks richer, the whites ashen and the reds velvety- a gorgeous film. The script was superb with some very funny lines. (Miss Cross:.."but my thesis was on Latin American economiuc policy."Max: "Did you hear they're going to cancel Latin?")And of course the O.R. scrubs line. I have only one problem with the script; the scene where Max snitched on Mr. Blume to his wife (about Blume's affair with Miss Cross).... This was out of character for Max (even though bringing refreshments was a nice character-defining touch) and I suspect Wes Anderson was uncomfortable with this. Could that be why he drowned out Max's words with the background noise? I bet he shot it straight and later decided to drown it out.
This film was very interesting for me to study as I prepare to shoot the movie version of my book: "Striking It Rich: Golf in the Kingdom with Generals Patients and Pros". Thank you Wes Anderson.

Director Wes Anderson crafts an excellent exploration in the gamut of emotions, with a cast that captures the essence of each moment, with an emphasis on stage presence.

Each of the featured characters is scarred by one or more of the following: loss, lies and love. The juxtaposition throughout of how it affects the individual and the situation with others involved is subtle, yet vital.

Jason Schwartzman is the rebellious teen, Max Fischer, whose life is structured around his extra-curricular responsibilities at Rushmore Academy. But he is teetering on expulsion due to poor grades, though he has a gift in playwriting and bringing people into his real-life drama.

Bill Murray (school booster, Mr. Blume) and Olivia Williams (first grade teacher, Miss Cross), respectively, capture the hard work of a man who has built great wealth - in the steel industry - but has not forgotten where he came from and the young, overqualified teacher who has special, altruistic reasons to enter the field.

With each scene building upon each other, there is not a wasted moment in the 93 minutes, with the climax being a rich and fitting means for the cast to take a bow.

A soundtrack which highlights the sounds from the British Invasion adds a timeless, pop culture quality to this most perfect comedy.

When I began to watch "Rushmore," I had no idea where it was headed. There seemed to be no direction of the story and I was ready to be bored for an hour or two. I was close to even turning it off. In the end, I realized that would have been a huge mistake, because I would have missed out on a great, little film.

Max Fischer (Jason Schwarzman) is in love with the school at which he attends: Rushmore Academy. He's the president of chess club, German club, and French club, as well as the founder of the dodgeball society, the Max Fischer players, and tons more. He's also the worst student at the school. As it begins to look gloomy for Max, things begin to brighten up when he falls for a first-grade teacher, Miss Cross (Olivia Williams). Unfortunately, Max isn't the only one who has his eye on the teacher. Mr. Blume (Bill Murray) falls for her as well. The two duke it out for Miss Cross' feelings as Max juggles with love, friendships, school, and a play about the Vietnam War.

I always thought of director Wes Anderson as a filmmaker you either love or hate. Not to say that I despise him or his films, but I just never really "got" them. I fell asleep during "The Life Aquatic" and although I liked "The Royal Tenenbaums", I wasn't thrilled or engaged by it. "Rushmore" works the best for me, mainly because of how focused it is. It's the observation of one character unlike say "The Royal Tenenbaums." Since this is the case, I have a better time trying to understand what the certain character is doing and why, instead of having to switch back and forth between many characters.

Jason Schwartzman is Max Fischer. Determined, caring, awkward, obsessed, and upset, Schwartzman does it all. Bill Murray is great as Max's enemy. The dialogue between the two is well done and never feels forced. Their dream girl is played beautifully by Olivia Williams, who does a remarkable job. The rest of the cast do fine as well.

Wes Anderson moves the story along at a fairly slow pace, which actually benefits the story. I particulary enjoyed the off-kilter editing that he employs throughout the film. I found it to be a nice parallel with Max's mindset in every situation that he is in.

Overall, "Rushmore" is a good film. As I said before, Wes Anderson is a director that you can either take or leave. If you enjoy his films, you'll certainly enjoy this. Even if you're not though, it's still worth checking out. It may move at a slow, deliberate pace, but it's got a great story to tell, filled to the brim with great characters and some solid direction.

My former sister in law kept raving about this film, telling me I would love it. It looked like a smarmy, Gen X "ironic" movie to me, so I avoided it for a bit, but then decided to go see it. It is a brilliant, funny, honest, heartfelt film, the best film I've seen from Wes Anderson. It has great performances by Jason Schwartzman as Max and Bill Murray, and also Seymour Cassel (a Cassavettes veteran) as Max's father, Olivia Willams as Max's "love interest", and Brian Cox as the dean of Rushmore. Never does the film feel condescending like a lot of "hip" films during this time had a tendency to do. It doesn't feel smarmy or sleazy. In the hands of a "hip" director, they could have needled Max's character, mocking him and making fun of him. Anderson didn't. Wes (and co-writer Owen Wilson, who should write more) made all their characters like real people. And the film has one of the greatest soundtracks EVER. It is filled with British invasion hits, and the use of The Who's A Quick One While He's Away is truly inspired. Anderson gets major points for using the live version from The Rock and Roll Circus instead of the studio version, which isn't as good. Most of Anderson's work in general leaves me cold, but not this film. This is his best film in my opinion, a film of depth and substance.

I finally saw this much-heralded film, and Wes Anderson should be very proud. The casting of Jason Schwartzman in the central role of Max was a very fine choice. I guess it brings up the argument that success doesn't mean you have academic skills. Most important element is that one small lie to the wrong person can balloon uncontrollably. Under Mr. Andersn's impeccable direction, the excellent cast makes this a most rewarding experience. Bill Murray won acclaim for his performance, and he's fine, but equally as good are Olivia Williams, Seymour Cassell, Brian Cox, and the delightful Sara Tanaka; not forgetting Schwartzman's totally believable, centered & focused performance. I loved this film, and I understand why it has become a "cult classic". I will watch it often.

Great performances, if you're a fan of Wes Anderson then this is a movie for you. Histerically funny, witty. A great Bill Murray movie, he's done great things with the director. A truly must see film.

First matter of business: the price.
It's steep. $32 for 1 disc?
If you feel the value of a dollar justifies $20 for 40 Year Old Virgin then this is a frikkin' bargain. Then again, this movie applies to a much different audience than the 40 Year Old Virgin.
If you haven't seen this movie, and you like Wes Anderson's other flicks (Royal Tennenbaums, the Life Aquatic, etc...) you need to go at least rent this one, check it out, give it a month or so to seep into your soul, and maybe then you'll see why $32 ain't so bad.
Other matters of business: if you wanted other matters of business, learn to live with disappointment. I'm done. The end.

Either you love Wes Anderson's work or you hate his work. I am a big fan of his work and Rushmore has always been one of my favorite Anderson films. A classic and must have if you are a Wes Anderson fan.

This is a film that everyone should buy, watch over and over, and laugh til you cry each time. Wes Anderson is a genius.

I first have to say that I am a big fan of Wes Anderson. I think his smart, subtle movies are a true breathe of fresh air in an industry that is obsessed with raunchy pointless, humor and the bottom line. That being said, I can even admit that his movies are not for everyone. I once saw an interview with him and he was asked what particular audience he thought his movies are for. His response was he thought his fans mostly consisted of ""outsiders" and "misfits." This group obviously dos not include everyone. This movie itself offers a poignant and comedic look in to the life of Max Fischer-a boy who struggles with fitting in and attaining the affections of an older woman teaching at Rushmore Academy. His life is often very random and comedic, but this is what I loved about the movie. If you are looking for something that makes you roll on the floor laughing at big-budget generic comedy, then this movie is not for you. If you are looking for a more subtle brand of comedy that leaves you thinking and with a smile on your face, then by all means buy this movie:)

This is going to be a little hyperbolic, so stand back.

I think that at the heart of it, the thing that I love about this movie is that it does what real comedy is supposed to do: It allows us to be witnesses at the creation of a new society. Ultimately...this is an eschatological point. That's why the banner at the dance at the end: "The Heaven and Hell Cotillion" was such an uncommonly brilliant touch.

The unique genius of the character of Max Fischer is that, without being a solemn watery-eyed plonk about it, he brings people together. He is a failure in academics, but the form that his manic inclusiveness takes is to create weirdly elaborate stage productions at his school and to found school clubs around the full variety of things that could possibly interest anyone...including beekeeping. At first, his inclusiveness is imperfectly benevolent because it involves pretense (He's ashamed of his father, and he spurns the attentions of a girl his age in favor of the mild and beautiful teacher Olivia Williams) but later, as the result of among other things his crushed romantic ambitions, he reforms himself and even befriends the most malevolent character on campus by giving him a great role in one of his bizarre and spectacular theatrical productions.

No review of this movie would be complete without mention of Bill Murray's performance. He was perfectly employed as the cynical industrialist that also falls for Olivia Williams and comes under the spell of Max Fischer. If you thought Murray was good in "Lost in Translation"...this role is in some ways the same, except much funnier, much sadder, much richer, much more humane.

At the end of Max's last school play (about Vietnam and complete with real dynamite explosions and safety glasses for the first few rows in the theatre), an Indian janitor is shown laughing uproariously. This scene was pure heaven to me. That is the laugh I expect to hear at the end of the world when it's found that there is a place at the table for everyone.

If you were lucky, you went to a school like Rushmore (K-12), if schools like this really exist. Neat, tree-lined streets where one can watch the seasons go by, a culturally diverse and self-motivated student body, eager to learn. One doesn't need a bathroom pass to use the restroom or special permission to make a phone call. They still teach Latin, every imaginable after-school club including a bee-keepers society and a drama club run solely by students and produces extremely realistic plays. The absence of authoritarian teachers and faculty, security guards and metal detectors. A large aquarium on grounds with piranhas.

This is probably my favorite movie of all time.
The story concerns one Max Fischer, 15 years old, student at the illustrious Rushmore Academy. But Max is not your average student- he's one of the worst.
Max (Schwartzman) befriends wealthy industrialist Herman Bloom (Murray), and falls in love with Rushmore's newest teacher, Rosemary, a widow from England, and unleashes some truly machiavellian schemes to get her to fall in love with him, (including trying to build an unauthorized aquarium for her on school grounds, backed by Mr. Bloom's millions), getting himself expelled in the process. Meanwhile, the married Herman also falls in love with her and they begin to have an affair, which sets off one of the funniest sequences in American film history; watching a 50 year-old man being attacked by bees that have mysteriously invaded his hotel room and intentionally running over a 15 year old boy's bicycle always makes me smile.
In the end, Max learns alot about life and love and friendship and all of that, and makes peace with Mr. Bloom, Rosemary, the memory of his deceased mother and the end of his tenure at Rushmore Academy. While watching, ask yourself why Max does what he does, why he never wants to leave Rushmore- his reason, never stated, is among the most touching aspects of a character that I have ever seen in any movie.
The soundtrack is truly amazing, as with all of the Wes Anderson films; check out The Who singing "A Quick One While He's Away."
The best thing I can say about this movie is that most people will see a bit of themselves and the people they know in the characters. Truly a wonderful film.

Since making his directing debut with the 1996 cult caper film "Bottle Rocket," Wes Anderson has established himself as one of film's most exciting young directors. His second film, "Rushmore," is a witty, heartfelt and often amusing film that features a hilarious performance by Bill Murray.

Anderson wrote the quirky script with his right-hand man, actor Owen Wilson, with whom he also collaborated on "Bottle Rocket" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." The story follows the trials and travails of high school student Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a sharp kid who focuses his attention on a plethora of offbeat extracurricular pursuits (fencing club, Latin, playwriting) rather than his studies.

In between attending to his various activities at Rushmore (the name of the private school he attends), Max develops a crush on Miss Cross (Olivia Williams), an elementary school teacher at his school. He also befriends Herman Blume (Bill Murray), an eccentric millionaire whose two sons attend school with Max.

Things soon fall apart for Max: The school expels him, Miss Cross denies his flirtations, and Blume begins courting Miss Cross himself. That sets up an extremely funny tete-a-tete between Max and Blume, highlighted by the scene in which Blume runs over Max's bike with his car.

As the intriguing love triangle of Max, Blume and Miss Cross plays out, Max finds solace in his caring father and a female student at his new school. The ending, which features all the characters coming together to watch Max's newest play, is entirely satisfying without being hokey or cynical.

Schwartzman, the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather"), exhibits a great knack for comedy throughout "Rushmore." But Murray steals the show with a masterfully funny turn that scored him a Golden Globe Nomination and Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. In one unforgettable scene, Herman suggests that his sons invite Max to their birthday party. "There's gonna be girls there," replies one. "Yeah," adds the other, "Get your head out of your a--." Murray's initial deadpan reaction will have you howling; his subsequent reach into the back seat to pummel his son will have you rolling on the floor.

Anderson, who captured the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, exhibits a sense of craft that's rare for comedic directors. Rather than depend solely on physical gags or even amusing one-liners, Anderson uses set direction, art direction and music to enhance his vision. Even if your sense of humor doesn't jive with Anderson's, you'll walk away from "Rushmore" with an appreciation for his careful attention to detail.

You have to love the little moments because this movie is made of little moments. I watched this before I knew it was a comedy and when I found out it was I figured they just couldn't think of anywhere else to put it. This movie makes me feel like there are lots of things moving and changing that have nothing to do with me. A lot of people say they don't like the movie because they think Max is a prick. You're supposed to feel that way, I think. You're supposed to forgive him for that because he's got something special in him, or at least that in his case he knows about it. But it also seems like some people don't like the movie because it's different. I guess that if you're patient and you like the little things, you'll enjoy this movie. Also, if you feel like you're left out or sort of an outcast you might enjoy this movie. You know, the kind of person that doesn't have red or hammer as the first thing they think of when you ask them for a tool and a color.

2.5 stars. I'm not really sure how I feel about this movie. I truely didn't contect to Max. I, too, found him to be a pompous spoiled brat and often times bordered on the creepy side in his pursuit of Mrs. Cross. And I'm not sure where his air of entitlement came from. For a boy with such humble orgins, his character seems totally out of whack. Bill Murray surely has his middle-aged blues shtick down (Lost in translation/Broken Flowers). he, too, was not a character I could root for. I understand he was not happy with the direction of his life, but the whole affair thing just seems so typical...and I'm not sure if he and Mrs. Cross were going to pick up things where they left off or not. Max never does pick up his grades or cut back on the extracurriculum activies--so I'm not sure about his character arch. He's pretty much the same boy at the end of the film as he was in the begining. Oh, except, he does admit his father is a barber now. Overall, check it out at your own peril.

this is my fav wes anderson film. although all the others are great too. i strongly recommend this film.

OK...my title is a little mean, but I found this kid, whom we're supposed to "just love" a little mean and the fact that I lost sympathy for him early on (due to his meanness) kept me from rooting for him. This is defintely a film in which we are supposed to root for the hero (or the anti-hero)...the adorable short nerdy kid with a big nose and glasses. His mother died of cancer, his father is a poor-but-good hearted barber,
he got into this fancy prep school on a scholarship, he is so smart that he solved a math problem that stumped MIT profs in a matter of minutes, etc. And the school bully picks on him.

Well he isn't really that nice, himself. He's insufferably rude to the Chinese girl, destroys Blume's marriage without a second thought, disables Blume's car which could have killed him. But he's still "adorable nerdy Max" so we're supposed to overlook these quirks and love him. I found his egotism much more annoying than cute.

I suspect that guys who felt like nerds in middle school might like this film due to some sort of wish fulfillment but beware, he doesn't end up with the pretty school teacher in the end! Maybe if another, more naturally likable actor had starred I'd have more interest in him..(Leonardo DiCaprio captured our sympathy as a young kid, in spite of committing huge crimes in Catch Me if You Can and I think that a lot of that was due to DiCaprio's natural sweetness) Jason Shwartzman (whom I actually liked a lot in Marie Antoinette) just didn't grab my heart the way the script obviously intended. Only once, when he smiled in the end did he seem a little sympathetic. For most of the film he sails through his antics with a vague superior smirk on an opaque, masklike face. There's no light there except an evil glint in his eyes when he's seeking revenge.

He looks like a cross between Woody Allan and Groucho Marx (were those his real eyebrows?.) Maybe if you find those guys endearing, you'll love Max. Otherwise... well, I warned you.

On the plus side, Bill Murray was genuinely touching and funny and many of the supporting cast were very good. I liked the music too.

Relax, it's just a movie. The only thing more annoying than the constant feeling that the movies can be too smart, and weird for the sake of weird, is that the overly critical reviewers are SMARTER than Wes! Some of these reviews are so smarmy I want to puke. I've enjoyed all of Wes Anderson's movies, and I put this one at a close second to the Royal Tennenbaums. But all of these exhausting one-star reviews all read the same way .... "you think you're so clever Wes, well you're not. I could have made the movie better if you'd just let me help you write and direct it". Chill out people. His movies are pleasing to the eye, funny, and unique. That's why most people enjoy them, and the self-annointed "clever" critics feel threatened by them.

The chemistry between Jason Schwartzman & Bill Murray is what really makes this movie great. The supporting cast does an admirable job as well. I really love Seymour Cassell's role as Max's (Schwartzman)father and it's always a treat to see him on screen. Out of the four Wes Anderson films this one I feel is the funniest and by far the darkest of the lot. It also has great music as well (with the highlight being Cat Steven's rendition of "Here Comes My Baby"). I don't believe that Bill Murray was even nominated for an Academy Award for this film and that is an absolute crime. His performance was his best ever and it just goes to show you that the Oscars have become almost a joke nowadays. After I saw this film I was convinced that Schwartzman was headed for superstardom. However, I guess he was born to play this role because he hasn't really been in anything that memorable since and his acting has never been close to as good. He was great in this film though! I have never seen a more lovable, cooler geek portrayed on film in my whole life. This is the first Wes Anderson film I had ever seen and I have been a big fan ever since. Can't wait to see what he creates next!

I bought this movie for a hot dude in hopes that he will fall in love with me and make a baby. JASON SCHWARTZMAN ITS ALL ON YOU BUDDY

Wes Anderson has a nice light touch in the comedy department. He also has a unique style. Whereas most prep school coming of age stories attempt a kind of been-there realism, what Anderson achieves here is something close to a kid's fantasy framed in realism.

Jason Schwartzman stars as 15-year-old Max Fischer whose claim to fame is flunking most of his classes at Rushmore prep while being a boy genius who leads a dozen extra curricular activities including writing and directing his own plays. He's a kind of dark browed Woody Allen in the making. Bill Murray, slightly subdued and under comedic control, gives support as Herman Blume the millionaire entrepreneur who is impressed with Fischer's accomplishments and style. Olivia Williams is the grade school teacher they both adore.

Well, if you are a slightly nerdish boy (or were one) this movie is going to just pop your tart. So wish-fulfilling is the story that at any moment I expected Max Fischer to hop into a phone booth and come out in leotards and cape. Even the plays Max writes embody a boy's dream of being a man: Serpico as played by teens, Platoon (or Apocalypse Now) in the high school gym. But I have to say anybody who watches this movie and doesn't feel a bit of nostalgia for childhood needs to have his bedpan changed.

Max is a slacker who doesn't slack. Max is to be preferred to Blume's own idiot kids. Max can lead the boys at public or private schools. It doesn't matter. Max can almost win the girl, even though she is a dozen or so years older and six inches taller. Max can take a punch. Max has inexhaustible energy. Max is a leader and liked and respected by all but the school bully (whom he wins over and puts to work). Max probably will get into his safety school, Harvard, by scoring a perfect 2400 on his SATs. Humm, maybe that's a good idea for a sequel--oh, too late for a sequel, and anyway The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) certainly is better than any sequel.

Well, how about Max grows up and becomes an astronaut, the first man on Mars? Or better yet, Max grows up and becomes--Wes Anderson!

I have one MAJOR problem with this movie. What is with all the cigarettes? Wes, did you get some backing from Phillip Morris? I am so tired of cigarettes in movies where they serve no plot or character purpose, where they are planted merely to entice young people into a lifetime of addiction. Wes Anderson, now that you have found some fame and fortune, please remember: smoking cigarettes causes cancer and taking money from cigarette companies is, at the very least, Bad Form.

I was prepared to love this movie after all the raves: several critics' sites had assured me that Igby Goes Down, a coming-of-age film I admired greatly, was a poor man's Rushmore. They've got it backwards. Rushmore has the outward appearance of quirky offbeatness, but much of the plot, when viewed in black and white, is actually very conventional, especially in the second half, where much of the action becomes a series of one-upman stunts between Max (a marvelous Jason Schwartzman) and Blume (Bill Murray). The scene where Max reveals the affair to Blume's wife is mean sprited, conventional and while a convenient plot device to make Blume available to Miss Cross, is also a convenient plot device to make Blume available to Miss Cross, if you get my drift. For all its alleged unconventionality and subtlty, it's actually more conventional and not nearly as subtle as most critics seem to think.

I think we've been fooled by the setup. The opening sequences, the characters, the whole mood of the piece, is very fresh. Certainly we've seen no one like Max in movies before, with his manic involvement in every activity imaginable. Yet, once having created him and his world, the authors fail to deliver with sufficient followthrough. Would someone with such an Orson Welles become so despondent so easily that he drops his high aspirations and decides to become a barber like his dad? I found that plot line 100% unbelievable, non-sequitor, and designed as a lazy attempt to tug at our hearts. Ditto the scene where Max climbs a ladder into Miss Cross' bedroom and fakes an injury to get her sympathy. I guess this was supposed to be endearing, but to me it belonged on the cutting room floor. Similarly, I found the ending--who wound up with whom--to be contrived. Why is Blume so suddenly desirable to Miss Cross? What's the linkage between Max and Margaret Yang, other than it's convenient to make one at the two-hour mark. Some critics said they couldn't see Sookie's motivation for pursuing first Igby and then brother Oliver in Igby Goes Down, but it's actually there and firmly established, unlike the relationships in this film.

I will give credit to Olivia Williams, who plays Miss Cross. It's hard to play someone who is completely and utterly ordinary and yet attracts our interest and desire anyway. She is one of these people. We understand why a lonely and tortured soul would be instantly drawn to her, against all rationality and common sense. It's not easy to ignite this instant chemistry on the screen, but it happens here. Her charm is delightfully understated, and her scenes are the highlight of the movie.

Now on to Bill Murray. I'm afraid I'm in the minority when it comes to this beloved actor: in short, I'm sick of roles where he merely stands there with mussed hair and a slight smirk on his face and makes a few dry cracks, and the critics fall all over themselves talking about his deep and richly-layered performances. Be it Lost in Translation, this movie or even Tootsie, I don't see where he does much aside from be Bill Murray. The same can be said for Jack Nicholson, Woody Allen and Robert Duvall, only he has even less charisma than they do. For once, I'd like to see him surprise me by stretching himself. Save your hate mail, you won't dissuade me.

The film looks good on DVD. The pop music medley is a bit intrusive--again, I felt the similar technique in Igby was far better integrated. In short, my verdict is don't believe those who say Igby Goes Down is inferior to this film. It has better writing, a tighter story, better acting, and more surprises than Rushmore, which opens with daring but settles into a rather conventional second half.

With all the drek that video stores carry, it's amazing that I had to join an online rental service to see "Rushmore", the best comedy, and one of the most entertaining movies I've seen this decade. "Rushmore" has every aspect of a great movie--script (by director Wes Anderson and writer/actor Owen Wilson), casting (Jason Schwartzman got the starring part as Max Fischer after a long search; Bill Murray is perfect as Herman Blume, and Brit Olivia Williams is lovely as Miss Cross--I'm not sure why she hasn't gotten other good parts; even the minor characters are very well cast), direction (by Anderson--highlighted by the montage of Max's extracurricular activities at the title private school Rushmore), acting (see Schartzman, Murray and others), soundtrack (somehow '60s British invasion works perfectly for this tale from the '90s--The Faces "Ooh La La" topping everything), and a happy, but still satisfying ending. And on top of that, there are plenty of very funny lines and the delight of seeing both "Serpico" and "Platoon" produced for the high school stage. Max Fischer is one of the best young characters created for a movie, and the rest of the great cast and production work beautifully around him. Very highly recommended!

"Rushmore" serves as an interesting reference for semiotic analysis because its director, Wes Anderson, is a unique auteur. He understands paradigmatic choices and commands them with a satirical tone characteristic in his films. When performing this semiotic analysis, it helps to keep in mind the film's target audience as a point of reference. This film is probably intended for an American audience of almost all ages however I think younger audiences, who have recently been through high school, could relate to the film in particular. Even further, this movie could be considered only for the growing cult of loyal Wes Anderson fans who follow his distinctive brand of film. For practical purposes of this essay, we will only examine the introductory scene from the movie paradigmatically and then look at some of its oppositions.
Anderson wastes no time establishing the quirky and mildly uplifting mood found throughout the movie. As the Touchstone Pictures logo moves on screen, we hear the jubilant plucking of a mandolin and are delighted because we expect this to be a lighthearted "fun" movie. Anderson's introduction is dissimilar from most other big budget movies in that it does not begin with a lengthy montage of credits; a strategy intended to set him apart from the Hollywood norm much in the way an oil painter seeks his/her avant-garde style.

Painting of the Blumes
The first shot fades in to a family portrait on an easel to the left of the screen with a red curtain closed in the background. "Touchstone Pictures presents" appears on the right in Anderson's trademark bold Futura font. It is important to note that like his other paradigmatic choices, Anderson's consistent selection of Futura font found in all his films is deeply personal and may not be fully understood by the audience. A set of curtains open to reveal the Rushmore plaque on a gate just outside the campus.
This shot comprises an array of unusually crafted paradigmatic choices. Denotatively, the fact that the portrait is painted suggests that the family depicted is part of an elite upper class. Many families in America have their family portrait hanging in the living room but they are usually photographed because it is a significantly cheaper. An original painting suggests the high importance and appreciation of art that many upper class families boast. In the painting, everyone appears to be happy and normal except the father figure, Herman Blume (Bill Murray), who is not standing next to his wife; instead he sits in the foreground with the look of pain on his face and a cigarette drooping off the corner of his mouth. Obviously this man has problems. The two adolescent twins are wearing the exact same outfit with the exact same haircut. Therefore, we can assume their interests and personalities are similar as well. Their clothes are part of a private school uniform; another indication of the family's wealth. Anderson consistently exploits the ambiguous relationship between the signifier and the signified to draw humor. Many of his paradigmatic choices seem random and cannot be explained logically. For example, the drab green sheet in the painting's background is subtly humorous because of its hideous color and presence. Indeed, it is noticeable but its presence cannot be fully explained. Even the quality of the painting itself is an odd paradigmatic choice. The colors are basic and the faces look almost cartoon-like; the entire painting hints the unrefined work of an art student in training. Why would a wealthy man, who could afford to commission the best artist money can buy, hire someone with sub par skills? What family would find it acceptable for the father to pose by himself in the foreground with a frown on his face for a family portrait? These are the kind odd paradigmatic choices Anderson uses to dance on the fence between realistic life and satirical exaggeration. It is also important to note the choice to include an opening curtain. Anderson reminds us that we are watching a completely fictitious play on screen; a fantasy world completely separate from our own. The curtain serves as an intermediary in this transition.

Max's Dream
A student asks about an extra credit problem on a forgotten chalkboard in the classroom and the teacher explains that it is "just a joke" geometry problem even his mentor from MIT cannot solve. The students whisper about this amongst themselves and the name "Max Fisher" surfaces a few times. Max Fisher is called on, who is busy reading the Wall Street Journal, but causally gets out of his desk to work out the problem. He fills most of the chalkboard with his mathematical steps written neatly in calligraphy and finally arrives with an answer. The teacher nods in approval and the whole class cheers for him. Max then wakes up from his dream.
The film's protagonist, Max Fisher, is introduced in a dream sequence taking place in a Geometry class at Rushmore. Connotatively, I can immediately identify with the algebraic symbols and graphs on the chalkboard from when I took Geometry in high school. Even the crusty white writing of chalk on a blackboard alone can conjure an array of memories from an academic environment. The boxed off list of homework assignments on the top right corner of the chalkboard, random colored papers posted on the wall, and black board eraser smudges are hardly noticed in this scene, however they all serve as an effective sign system which provide the realistic detail authenticating Anderson's work. The teacher dresses conservatively in a beige V-neck sweater vest and a dry, monotone speech pattern to match. We can stereotype his dull persona as the result of a lifelong dedication to advanced mathematics. By this time, the audience is aware that Rushmore is an elite private high school but may find it hard to identify with the setting since the majority of people go to public schools. We expect Rushmore to be filled with the best teachers, a nurturing administration, and endless opportunity. This is evident when Max gets expelled from Rushmore because of his bad grades and forced into the public school system. His former club activities such as fencing are no longer embraced by the public school community and he is not allowed to use the public phone without a hall pass.
Max's dream sequence elicits the following main oppositions:
Student vs. Teacher
Student vs. Students
Public vs. Private School
The Intelligent vs. The Average

In his dream, Max is idealizing that he is the exact opposite of what he is. The teacher and students respect him for his academic prowess but in reality, he is "one of the worse student's we've got," according to the president of Rushmore in a later scene. When Herman Blume asks his twin sons if they invited Max to their birthday party and they respond in disgust: "Max Fisher? Common Dad there's gonna be girls there. I'd rather die." With Max's odd fashion sense, neatly parted hair, thick framed glasses, and braces, he is denotatively the stereotypical nerdy kid in school. Connotatively, his character traits eventually unfold to reveal his enthusiasm for extra-curricular activities, great organization skills, and finally his compassion for others. Max's nonconformity with the "average kids" in school and his poor academic infamy with the school's administrators allow him to surprise viewers with his ambitious club endeavors such as directing a hit play about the Vietnam War complete with real dynamite pyrotechnics. The audience is willing to accept this precocious behavior from a student attending a private school which presumably admits only the most gifted applicants. We recognize that school uniforms are commonly worn at private schools and are intended to maintain a presentable student and encourage equality. However, many kids do not adhere to conformity by individualizing their uniform; they can take off their jacket, roll their sleeves up, and untuck their shirt if they want to. Max, on the other hand, breaks this trend by wearing his complete Rushmore school uniform while the other students prefer the relaxed look of the light blue collar shirt. This stark difference is accentuated further when Max stands to clap for the Herman Blume's chapel speech in the next scene. Max's dark navy blue blazer is unmistakable amongst the sea of light blue shirts in the congregation; an obvious statement that he is the black sheep.
In conclusion, Anderson's unique brand of paradigmatic choices in "Rushmore" allows for an interesting semiotic analysis because they are not always produce a relevant meaning. Although he follows many of the same semiotic strategies to convey meaning as other directors, Anderson plays with the non-existential relationship between the signifier and signified in his paradigmatic choices to provoke confusion and humor. He is a quiet reminder that film is an art form and not a science of optimizing commercial success. For the true auteur, there are no rules.

This is what a movie should be.

First, it is clearly a work of art. The premise of what is was about sounds boring but a movie is a product of its creator not the subject matter. The director brought this to life.

Secondly, the actors were great. Bill Murray created a character that was complex, pathetic yet also at times likeable. He is a steel magnate that is impressed with Max and then competes with him over a girl. The concept of a man ignoring his big business and pre-occupied with the little things in life is charming.

The Max Fisher character is a brilliant original. A fifteen year old that is charming, devious, manipulative of the world and at times downright scary and evil. The supporting characters are also great and all are very quirky.

Lastly, the Brittish wave soundtrack enhances the story.

This is a very hip, smart and innovative film. This movie has been imitated in style but , at the time, the deadpan sense of humor and we, the makers of the movie are smarter and cooler than you attitude, was very fresh.

It is a lesson to makers and patrons of the art...you can do so much with so little.

One of my favorite movies, after i saw this movie I insistly became a fan of Wes Anderson. Altough his other movies never came close to this one he is great at making dry humor movies.

Hilarious, in a dry subtle way. Improves on multiple viewings.

After seeing Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums" (I hated it) I had no desire to see another one of his films. But, this film had gotten some great reviews and I read an interview with Vincent Gallo where he was complaining about it for some reason I don't remember, so I decided to check it out. The other big factor for me was, I'm not a big fan of The Criterion Collection. I've seen a lot of movies in that collection I hated, but this is one of the best I've seen. This is actually one of the best, most charming, and funny movies I've seen in a long time. The writing is smart and witty, the dialogue is charming, the performances are great. Jason Schwartzman ('Spun' & 'Shopgirl') plays Max Fischer, a tenth grader at a private school called Rushmore. While he's one of the smartest kids at the school, he's their worst student. But he is involved in a lot of extracurricular activities, in fact he's the founder or president of most of them. After discovering a quote that he's fond of in a book, he tracks down the person who wrote the quote who happens to be a teacher at the school. Her name is Miss Cross (Olivia Williams, who is really hot), and Max quickly falls in love with her. Problem is, his friend Mr. Blume (Bill Murray, in one of his best performances) also is in love with Miss Cross. When Max discovers this, he wages war against Blume. In case you hadn't noticed, it's a pretty quirky movie. Jason Schwartzman shows here that he's a very good actor; I've now seen him play Max Fischer, a drug addict, and a lazy womanizer and he's shown a great amount of range in all these roles. He's very believable here. Murray delivers an Oscar worthy performance, he's truly wonderful to watch. And Williams is not only a fine actress, but she's also...Fine. I was surprised to find out that Owen Wilson (who is not in the film, but his brother Luke Wilson is) co-wrote this movie. I knew Wilson was a funny guy, but damn...He's a good writer too. This is a really great movie and if you haven't seen it, then you need too.

GRADE: A

Well, i use masterpiece loosely, because all of his films have been, at the very least, good, but this isn't a masterpiece in the same way as, say, Red Beard...anyway.

Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson's melding of/take on 'Catcher in the Rye' and 'Harold and Maude' turned out to be far more of a success than they could have ever imagined. Hailed world wide as the arrival of a new force in film making, even though it's Anderson's second film, Rushmore put Jason Schwartzman into the spotlight and thrust Bill Murray back into homes all over America.

Rushmore is, basically, the story a woman you can't have, and the effect it has on the two men who want her. (Jules & Jim automatically comes to mind as another influence.) Schwartzman plays, masterfully, Max Fischer - doing his best to involve himself in as many extracurricular activities as possible, and to avoid homework as often as he can. Max is growing up too quickly, he has an air of pseudomaturity, and this only raises in intensity when he meets Rosemary, a teacher at his school.

He does his best to impress her, as any young boy in love would. He buys her new fish, and seems interested in her life outside of school. She catches on and informs him that he's far too young for her.

All the while, Murray's character, Harold Bloom, is miserable in his life with his cheating wife and annoying twin sons. He meets Max and is strangely in awe of the young man and his tenacity. Through Max he meets Rosemary and he too falls for her subtle charms.

What follows is a war between two men, well, one man and a boy, a war for something neither one could ever acquire.

For it's few flaws, it remains a fairly realistic, touch and poignant look at adolescent love.

Another favorite by Wes Anderson. Mr. Anderson writes a great story and hires the right actors to make it work perfectly. This movie is the only one without Owen Wilson.

Read elsewhere for reviews of the movie. This is an opinion of it.

I really feel like this quirky comedy-drama is curiosity. I was tempted to give it 1 star to counter all the rave (and undeserved) 5-star reviews, but my honest opinion is that it's average. While it is very interesting in some ways, being odd and different does not (as many lemmings apparently think) make this a masterpiece. And just because you don't fall all over yourself about it doesn't mean you don't appreciate the director's talents.

The characters and situations are a little out there, and a couple of times I found myself waiting for Max's dream sequences to end -- only to discover that the film continued on, and they weren't dream sequences at all. This is not a movie that reflects real life, but in some ways it acts like it is trying to. If you can get over that, you'll end up enjoying it, I think.

Funny, amusing, intelligent-but-off-the-wall dialogue and situations are both the strengths and weaknesses of this movie.

Rushmore, featuring Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray, is not your average run of the mill comedy. I think of it as a smart comedy. Written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson I feel that Wes Anderson is the most artistic director of the new millenium. The onscreen charisma between Murray and Schwartzman is hilarious and believable.