The family of three former child prodigies reunite after learning that their father, Royal Tenenbaum, has a terminal illness.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 7-SEP-2004
Media Type: DVD

In a fitting follow-up to Rushmore, writer-director Wes Anderson and cowriter-actor Owen Wilson have crafted another comedic masterwork that ripples with inventive, richly emotional substance. Because of the all-star cast, hilarious dialogue, and oddball characters existing in their own, wholly original universe, it's easy to miss the depth and complexity of Anderson's brand of comedy. Here, it revolves around Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), the errant patriarch of a dysfunctional family of geniuses, including precocious playwright Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), boyish financier and grieving widower Chas (Ben Stiller), and has-been tennis pro Richie (Luke Wilson). All were raised with supportive detachment by mother Etheline (Anjelica Huston), and all ache profoundly for a togetherness they never really had. The Tenenbaums reconcile somehow, but only after Anderson and Wilson (who costars as a loopy literary celebrity) put them through a compassionate series of quirky confrontations and rekindled affections. Not for every taste, but this is brilliant work from any perspective. --Jeff Shannon

After gaining attention with his quirky early films BOTTLE ROCKET and RUSHMORE, writer and director Wes Anderson was able to bring together a wide Hollywood cast for his ambitious 2001 effort THE ROYAL TENNEBAUMS. As the movie opens, we are shown the rise of the three children of the Tannebaum family, prodigies who excel in business, sports and literature respectively. The upbringing of these little geniuses is left to their mother Etheline (Angelica Huston) after their father Royal (Gene Hackman) leaves the family. We flashforward to the present day, where the family has fallen from glory. Chas Tennenbaum (Ben Stiller) is too crushed by the death of his wife to focus on business, Margot (Gwenyth Paltrow) hasn't written a play in years and sulks most of the day in the bathtub, and Richie (Luke Wilson) retired from tennis after mysterious blowing his last game. It is at this time that their father returns, and the reconciliation between the family members is the story of the film.

Wes Anderson retains his quirky sense of humour here. Though ostensibly set in the present day, the lives of the characters occasionally seem bound in traditions of a century ago, as when Royal has an Indian servant, and one of Etheline's suitors is a polar explorer, and this gives a certain charm to the picture. Another amusing Anderson touch is the sheer detail of the sets, with background items like newspaper clippings, portraits and bookshelf contents providing a feeling that these characters are fully formed and have a past. I think that the best part of the film may in fact be the supporting cast. Bill Murray, who plays Margot's husband, was to go on to play this type of jaded, unhappy middle-aged man in several films until it just stopped being fun anymore, but this early go at it is quite entertaining. Owen Wilson's character Eli Cash is hilarious, an author of Western novels who gets so caught up in the mythology of the Old West that he starts taking mescaline and descends into drug addiction. In some respects, Cash is similar to Wilson's character Hansel in Zoolander of the same year.

Unfortunately, I think the film is flawed. Anderson has certainly learnt much from earlier film-makers, especially the great European auteurs of the 1950s and 1960s, but there's too often a sense that the film is imitation instead of original insight. This sense of discomfort only increases on re-watching the film. I also find the soundtrack extremely incongruent with the rest of the production. While entertaining, and even memorable in several respects, THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS leaves me with mixed feelings.

With Wes Anderson movies, most people either love or hate the films. I think it's either you get it or you don't. With the Tenenbaums, I absolutely loved every second of the film from the first time I saw it in the theater in 2001. Gene Hackman is perfectly cast as Royal with his sometimes careless comments to his children during flashbacks, but his funny little sayings, "You're true blue Ethel," makes him almost hard to hate. Ben Stiller (Chas) is perfect as his crazy perfectionist character. There are too many story lines to explain and too many side stories, but over all, it's amazing, funny, and not boring at all. I laugh so much watching this every time.

One of my absolute favourite movies! The commentary on the Criterion is also worth listening to.

I don't get it. This is the most confusing attempt at a movie I've ever seen. The plot makes no sense and wastes the skills of several very fine actors.

I was so enraptured by the visual beauty the first time I saw this film, that I had to watch it again just to get the parts of the story that had passed me by. This is a complete masterpiece! Loaded with symbolism, high aestheticism, sharp wit, and deeply charming characters.

The story, the art.....Five stars, on so many levels. Bravo!*****