RUSHMORE A STANDOUT FILM
Rushmore is one of the finest films of the year. It is much deeper than being a 'comedy' about obsession - its greatest moments come not only in the brilliant acting of Bill Murray and the leading actor, but in some of the scripts more dramatic moments. Bill Murray has had two excellent acting roles in the last year - one as the lawyer in Wild Things, and now here as a steel entrepreneur in Rushmore. The thing I really loved about this film is that it very rarely goes for the obvious gag - and even when it does it is very funny. But beyond the humour - this film is really very meaningful. It talks about loneliness, it talks about how humans can become so disenchanted with life that when they find someone they want, they will do whatever it takes. It is about rejection and running away. Seeing Bill Murray's character reduced to that of a child is one of the funniest and saddest pieces of acting you can get. The director here has a unique cinematic vision - its lead being a cross between the nerdy Woody Allen types and funnily enough some of the more subversive characters of teen films. The humour itself has elements of Woody Allen in it - but it is too removed from Allen's humour to be called one. It is complex, intelligent and rich and very well shot and edited (the play scenes are great).
Rushmore follows the tale of Max Fischer, a 15 year old on scholarship at Rushmore - a prestigious school. In the opening scene we get a funny moment involving him solving a maths equation - perhaps a send up of Good Will Hunting. In his drerams, Max is a very popular boy - a legend. Then we find out how Max has his finger in any and every society that Rushmore offers (brilliantly delivered during opening titles). The thing that's so great about it is that he fits in perfectly at Rushmore - bee keeping society, lacrosse, backgammmon and fencing are among some of the many clubs he is president of. It is because of his involvement in all these social clubs that Max is flunking. Indeed, it has got to a stage where the principal of the school tells him that if he fails again he gets kicked out. The effect this has on Max is shock - though he doesn't show it outwardly. You must understand, Rushmore is Max's life. He is obsessed with Rushmore, with its order, with his feeling of empowerment within the school, with its ability to act as a facade for his true identity. The reason behind the obsession is perhaps that there is a missing link in his life - and Rushmore makes up for that (but more importantly, Rushmore has allowed Max to live another life, with its aphrodizic effects).
Bill Murray's character is a multi-millionaire alumni of Rushmore, who impresses Max with a speech he gives during chapel. Max also impresses Murray's character who is so unlike his children, who he thinks of with utter disdain and perhaps contempt. There is a link here: Max cruelly disowns his real situation (his father), while Murray's character disowns his family (or at least, tries to escape it - hence the pool scene). A friendship forms between Max and Murray that is to be shattered by their obsession with on female.
Max, while reading a book, notes a quote and finds out who wrote it - he locates this beautiful primary school teacher who he falls for. This 15 year old becomes obsessed with winning her attention. Now, this storyline must be the flavour of the year. Dawson's Creek also has a 15 year old/teacher relationship, and in real life with the Latourneau case. In a way, the young boy/old woman theme is similar to that of The Graduate - but this film, if similar in any way, is about reverse rebellion - Max rebelling against his own upbringing (and hence one of the saddest scenes of the film involving him and his father "pipe dreams dad, I'm a barber's son"). Anyway, back to the teacher - unlike Dawson's creek, the teacher here is truly beautiful - the type of teacher anyone could fall for. And this is why Bill Murray falls for her. Ironically, it is Bill Murray that has a scene reminiscent of the graduate (the underwater sequence in the pool scene early on). This is not the only irony of the film - I mean, the film has too many to mention (the ending itself is an ironic joke). There is a quote: "Hell is war" in this film. And I think it is quite important to remember, because what these two do is basically hellish in nature. And whether either can redeem themselves from this hell is where the movie heads to. The movie was sufficiently different enough for me to keep guessing as to what Max would redeem himself, and the ending in itself is ironic given what the play is about and what happens at the reception (I could be reading into it but I think it's like having a huge party at the end of a holocaust film).
The movie itself - with its lead character - may invoke an earlier film called "The Chocolate War" (I think), but if you want to see why this film is so good - watch the latter and then look at this. There is so much more on offer in this film than there was in the chocolate war.
Finally, while both Max and his rival are deeply intelligent, intelligence and urbaneness have nothing to do with the obsession here - in fact, that is what makes what happens in this film seem so crazy - two ultra intelligent human beings tearing each other apart for one chick - but just like in Something About Mary, you can understand why. I can't say too much about this film - all the important social observations and deep meanings that take place in the 90 or so minutes of this great film requires that I wreck the experience. Needless to say, the antics that take place and the reasons for them reveal that Rushmore, like Babe, is more than the deceptively simple fable that it presents. Look behind the surface and this is one of the great movies of the year. I say oscar nomination and award to Bill Murray - because he finally plays a brilliant role. The movie itself should be recognised - but given strong competition with such fine films as well as its late release date - don't expect Rushmore to feature too prominently even though it should!
87/100
P.S. Apart from Murray's every single facial gesture conveying some meaning (look at the scene where he meets Max's father for the first time - first it is shock, then a sense of profound sorrow for Max and even guilt), there's also the whole mother issue as well. It's alternately comical and sad to watch Max type his hit plays on his backyard - the cemetary. His inspiration being his dead mother, buried in the same cemetary. She gave him his typewriter. The morbidity of Fischer falling for his teacher and finding the one thing they have in common "dead people in their family" is more than that. Mrs Cross says to Max: "You remind me of my husband... he founded the bee keeper's association." (that is funny as well). Whereas Max probably sees a bit of his own mother in Mrs Cross. In a way, they compliment each other in this morbid sense.