If a movie character and the film in which he appears could have cinematic cousins, then one would have to wager that Max Fischer and the film "Rushmore" have fallen from the same family tree as Ferris Bueller and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
Similar in attitude and tone, but much darker and decidedly more offbeat, "Rushmore" is something of a combination of "Ferris Bueller" mixed with doses of varied films such as "The Graduate" and "Revenge of the Nerds" (and you probably never thought those two disparate pictures could ever be used together in describing a film).
Much like the aggressively quirky cousin that some at a family reunion find amusing while others there will do anything to avoid, the film is definitely something of an acquired taste and its darker side makes it a bit less approachable than the rather innocent and jolly "Ferris Bueller." Nonetheless, if you sit back with an open mind and allow this film to work its offbeat and often outrageous "magic" upon you, you may just find yourself getting a kick out of it.
About as polar opposite a view of high school life as one could get from the recent spate of films showcasing highschool-based teens, this film lets its audience know right from the onset that it's going to take us down a relatively untraveled Hollywood road.
From a brief, but amusing opening dream sequence to the theatrical staging of "Serpico" and a lavish Vietnam play that would make both Oliver Stone and Francis Ford Coppola proud, the film offers a bevy of offbeat highlights that are simultaneously clever and entertaining.
While it's unfortunate that the film can't sustain its comic madness for its full 100+ minute length, and that loses much of its otherwise head-on direction and momentum toward its conclusion, the writing and direction, as well as the bravura performances contained within definitely make the film worth seeing.
As written and directed by Wes Anderson (who made a big splash with his critically acclaimed, but little seen film "Bottle Rocket" which he also co-wrote with this film's other writer and executive producer, Owen Wilson), the film doesn't showboat its quirkiness as much as let it naturally ooze off the screen. While nearly every scene is imaginatively staged and shot, and an eclectic collection of '60's tunes perfectly complements the scenes and overall dark comedy hipness, few of the individual scenes -- if any -- draw undue attention to themselves.
The performances, however, are what really make the film work and kudos should go out to the filmmakers and casting crew for finding newcomer Jason Schwartzman. Seemingly born to inhabit this role, Schwartzman plays his character with just the right edginess and verve that he never appears to be acting. Instead, he's simply Max Fischer and it's a great debut performance (let's hope, however, that he's not really just playing himself -- his next picture will obviously answer that concern).
On the other end of the experience spectrum is Bill Murray ("Groundhog Day," "Ghostbusters") who is also quite good in what may be one of his best performances in years and perhaps his entire career (and for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination). He's always exuded bits of darkness in his humor, and by downplaying his stereotypical mugging and wackiness for an edgier role with more subtly played nuances, Murray creates what's probably the most interesting character he's ever played and he deserves credit for taking and perfectly playing this smaller, supporting role.
Other performances, from the likes of Olivia Williams (who managed to escape with her fledgling career relatively unscathed after her debut appearance in "The Postman") to Mason Gamble ("Dennis the Menace") and Seymour Cassel (an Oscar nominee in "Faces"), are all decent across the board and nicely complement Schwartman's, Murray's and the picture's overall efforts.
Although the film does lose its focus during its waning moments (the Vietnam-set stage play, while funny, just sort of arrives without really feeling congruous with the rest of the plot), and the anticipated showdown between Max and Mr. Blume as Miss Cross' rival suitors feels shortchanged and thus a bit of a letdown, most of this offbeat and quirky film is highly original, superbly acted, and a lot of fun to watch.
While it probably won't appeal to everyone's tastes, for those with an appetite for decidedly un-Hollywood like fare, this may just be the perfect antidote for the standard-issue and otherwise lame teen-based comedies to which we're usually subjected.
As far as the DVD itself, both the picture and audio elements are outstanding. Although the original release of this picture contained just the film's theatrical trailer, this new version is chock full of supplements that should keep fans of the film busy - and happy - for quite some time.
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