 Rushmore (1998) Bill Murray is equal parts funny and sympathetic as Herman Blume, a wealthy but lonely benefactor at Rushmore. Murray perfectly conveys Blume's anger and disappointment at life, as well as his surprise spark in response to the intriguing and bizarre Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), an extremely self-confident oddball who is president of about 12,000 school clubs to the detriment of his grades. Fischer and Blume become friends, then rivals, as they vie for the affections of a new teacher at Rushmore, Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Fischer claims to want to spend the rest of his life at Rushmore, where he has free reign, a disproportionate influence on the school board, the aforementioned 24,000 clubs to run, and the worst grades in the school. But what Fischer really wants is attention, accolades, celebrity – without doing boring things, like schoolwork. And, since every time he puts his effort into something he "wins," it becomes increasingly painful for him to realize that Ms. Cross might not return his affections. That doesn't stop him, nor does the threat of expulsion from Rushmore for bad grades. The film is endlessly engaging on all levels, with so much happening so quickly it's sometimes hard to keep up. It is a character-driven film, but the characters are so interesting and funny in such an honest and unique way that their actions ring true even if they sometimes initially seem preposterous or silly. Plus, although the resolution is a shade predictable, it's impossible to guess how the filmmakers will get there … and I wasn't sure what would even happen until maybe five minutes beforehand. Anderson's direction could not be better – every shot tinged with irony, and even the droll use of sound effects adds to the humor. He and Wilson have gone one step beyond their entertaining and self-assured debut, Bottle Rocket (which has since garnered its own cult, and not undeservedly), creating much deeper characters and a subtler story. Even the slight references to The Graduate are played off perfectly … sure, it's "obvious," but it's also meaningful. Thankfully, the film refuses to explain why Fischer is the way he is (even scenes with his father give no clue). I don't think even Fischer could tell you, which is partly why he's so spellbinding. The only conceivable flaw is in the ever so slightly underwritten Ms. Cross, but in the filmmakers' defense I'll make the assumption that for Fischer, women in general are odd creatures meant to be pursued but never caught. There's a great scene when Ms. Cross confronts Fischer about his feelings. She says something like, "What do you want with me? Do you want sex?" (apologies for my alcohol-blurred memory). He just stands there awkwardly, stunned, probably incapable of even imagining himself having sex. What a great moment, so perfectly realized. A high school student (in a film, no less) who wants the idea of sex but can't quite handle the reality of it. Now there's something I can relate to! But the crowning achievement of Rushmore, greater than story, style, individual moments, and even Bill Murray, is Jason Schwartzman, who puts in a truly astounding performance (he is, incidentally, the son of Talia Shire, the nephew of Francis Ford Coppolla, and the cousin of Nicolas Cage). Every moment he's onscreen is interesting, funny, and sometimes even poignant. He's the anti-Tom Cruise, or better yet, the anti-Ferris Bueller, since Fischer must actually struggle to achieve his goals, and obviously the so-called "normal" kids (typified by Bill Murray's idiotic sporto twin sons) consider him an oddity. With his uneven looks and off-kilter smirk, he seems to be in on some cosmic joke. It's a joke some of us know well, the some of us that will forever cherish this beautiful film.
Review by Crimedog |
