The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

Wes Anderson (written by) &
Owen Wilson (written by)

Release Date:

14 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Family Isn't A Word... It's A Sentence.

Plot:

An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when one of their member announces he has a terminal illness.

Plot Keywords:

Child Prodigy | Terminal Illness | Genius | Recurrent Stabbing In The Gut | Car Crash

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins & 27 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Royal Tenenbaum
Anjelica Huston	...	Etheline Tenenbaum
Ben Stiller	...	Chas Tenenbaum
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Margot Tenenbaum
Luke Wilson	...	Richie Tenenbaum
Owen Wilson	...	Eli Cash
Bill Murray	...	Raleigh St. Clair
Danny Glover	...	Henry Sherman
Seymour Cassel	...	Dusty
Kumar Pallana	...	Pagoda
Alec Baldwin	...	Narrator (voice)
Grant Rosenmeyer	...	Ari Tenenbaum
Jonah Meyerson	...	Uzi Tenenbaum
Aram Aslanian-Persico	...	Young Chas Tenenbaum
Irene Gorovaia	...	Young Margot Tenenbaum
Amedeo Turturro	...	Young Richie Tenenbaum
Stephen Lea Sheppard	...	Dudley Heinsbergen
James Fitzgerald	...	Young Eli Cash
Larry Pine	...	Peter Bradley
Don McKinnon	...	Detective
Frank Wood	...	Hotel Manager
Al Thompson	...	Lt. Walter Sherman
Jennifer Wachtell	...	Rachael Evans Tenenbaum
Donal Lardner Ward	...	Hotel Clerk (as Donal Ward)
Andrew Wilson	...	Farmer Father / Tex Hayward
Dipak Pallana	...	Doctor
Sanjay Mathew	...	Sanjay Gandhi
Mary Wigmore	...	Chas' Secretary
Sonam Wangmo	...	Sing-Sang
Gita Gabriel	...	Facialist
Pawel Wdowczak	...	Neville Smythe-Dorleac
Peter Leung	...	Yasuo Oshima
William Sturgis	...	Franklin Benedict
Liam Craig	...	Reporter in Blue Cardigan
Sheelagh Tellerday	...	Eli's Aunt
Max Faugno	...	Cote d'Ivoire Attendant
Guido Venitucci	...	Cote d'Ivoire Radio Operator
Ebon Moss-Bachrach	...	Frederick (Bellboy)
Brian Smiar	...	Elderly 'Baumer' Fan #1
Jan Austell	...	Elderly 'Baumer' Fan #2 (as Jan V.E. Austell)
Rony Clanton	...	Cemetery Maintenance Man
Salim Malik	...	Anwar
Tom Lacy	...	Judge
Keith Charles	...	Royal's Lawyer
Greg Goossen	...	Gypsy Cab Driver
Saidah Arrika Ekulona	...	Nurse (as Sadiah Arrika Ekulona)
Vic Mata	...	Sanchez
Michael J. Conti	...	Irish Longshoreman (as Michael Conti)
Tatiana Abbey	...	Parisian Girl
Kalani Queypo	...	New Guinea Tribesman
Mel Cannon	...	Punk Rocker
Leo Manuelian	...	Eli's Egyptian Friend
Amir Raissi	...	Eli's Egyptian Friend
Roger Shamas	...	Eli's Egyptian Friend
Philip Denning	...	Father Petersen
Gary Evans	...	Police Officer
Rex Robbins	...	Mr. Levinson
Nova Landaeus-Skinnar	...	Elaine Levinson
Sam Hoffman	...	Paramedic
Brian Tenenbaum	...	Paramedic
Stephen Dignan	...	Paramedic
Eric Chase Anderson	...	Medical Student
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wes Anderson	...	Tennis Match Commentator #1 (voice) (uncredited)
Tomm Bauer	...	Tennis Ball Boy (uncredited)
Ray Castellanos	...	Grocery Clerk (uncredited)
Blaze Kelly Coyle	...	Tennis Socialite (uncredited)
Michael Cuomo	...	Tennis Fan (uncredited)
Dimitri DeFresco	...	Archeology Student (uncredited)
Sherrie Fell	...	Secratary (uncredited)
Daniel Koenig	...	Tennis Fan (uncredited)
Elizabeth Logan	...	Tennis Fan (uncredited)
Seth Michael May	...	Archeologist (uncredited)
Kevin Kean Murphy	...	Archaeologist (uncredited)
Alem Brhan Sapp	...	Desmond (uncredited)
Kaipo Schwab	...	Polynesian Chief (uncredited)
Jason Schwartzman	...	Tennis Match Commentator #2 (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Wes Anderson

Writing credits (WGA)
Wes Anderson		(written by) &
Owen Wilson		(written by)

Produced by
Wes Anderson	....	producer
Barry Mendel	....	producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer
Rudd Simmons	....	executive producer
Will Sweeney	....	associate producer
Owen Wilson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mark Mothersbaugh

Cinematography by
Robert D. Yeoman		(director of photography) (as Robert Yeoman)

Film Editing by
Dylan Tichenor

Casting by
Douglas Aibel

Production Design by
David Wasco

Art Direction by
Carl Sprague

Costume Design by
Karen Patch

Makeup Department
Kashka Banjoko	....	hair stylist: Danny Glover
Kate Biscoe	....	key makeup artist
Judy Chin	....	makeup artist
Jerry DeCarlo	....	key hair stylist (as Jerrold DeCarlo)
Christine Domaniecki	....	make-up artist: uncredited
Naomi Donne	....	makeup designer
Marie-Ange Ripka	....	hair designer
Martel Thompson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Denise Pinckley	....	unit production manager
Paul A. Levin	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Hoffman	....	first assistant director
Michelle L. Keiser	....	second assistant director
Kathryn-Ann Oaks Shertzer	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Joseph Alfieri	....	carpenter (as Joe A. Alfieri Jr.)
Mark Bachman	....	graphic artist
Avery S. Brandon	....	scenic painter (as Avery Brandon)
Dalia Burde	....	art department assistant
Miguel Calderon	....	artist: paintings at Eli Cash's
Shannon Canfield	....	on-set dresser
Carolyn Cartwright	....	set decorator: New York
John S. Coda	....	construction foreman
Justin Corbett	....	construction grip
Robert de Mar	....	set dresser (as Robert A. de Mar III)
Phil Devonshire	....	shop electrician (as Philip Devonshire)
Amy S. Dholakia	....	industrial scenic
Kenneth T. Engels	....	key construction grip
Laura G. Gillen	....	scenic painter (as Laura Gillen)
Hugo Guinness	....	artist: paintings at Eli Cash's (as Hugo Guiness)
Peter Hackman	....	scenic foreman (as Peter G. Hackman)
Sandy Hamilton	....	property master
Julia G. Hickman	....	art department administrator
Doug Huszti	....	assistant art director (as Douglas A. Huszti)
Bill Kolpin	....	greensman (as William J. Kolpin)
George Kousoulides	....	scenic artist
George Kousoulides	....	scenic painter
Diane J. Laurienzo	....	scenic shop manager (as Diane Laurienzo)
Alexandra Mazur	....	assistant set decorator
Sarah E. McMillan	....	set dresser (as Sarah E. McMillian)
Kevin Melarkey	....	set dresser
Mike Melchiove	....	carpenter (as Mike Melchiorre)
Kris Moran	....	assistant property master (as Kristine Moran)
Gerard Morrone	....	set dresser
Thomas Nousias	....	scenic shop manager
Elliott Puckette	....	artist: paintings at Eli Cash's (as Eliot Puckette)
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco	....	key set decorator (as Sandy Reynolds Wasco)
Jon Ringbom	....	charge scenic
Scott Rosenstock	....	leadman
Tom Sarr	....	model maker
Will Scheck	....	greensman
Adam Scher	....	assistant art director
Mark Simon	....	set dresser
Julie Sloan	....	scenic painter (as Julie Sloane)
Nell Stifel	....	camera scenic artist
Peiran Teng	....	portrait artist
Jonathan Tessler	....	props
Irapaul Turner	....	shop coordinator (as Ira Paul Turner)
Gary Wattson	....	set dresser
Thomas White	....	construction coordinator (as Tom White)
Joan Winters	....	graphic design
Daniel Woods	....	construction grip
Gillian V. Albinski	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Tony Gardner	....	specialty props (uncredited)
Douglas G. Young	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Berger	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Boulton	....	adr mixer
Benjamin Cheah	....	sound effects recordist (as Ben Cheah)
Ryan Collison	....	foley recording engineer
Kay Denmark	....	adr boom operator
John P. Fasal	....	sound effects recordist (as Johnpaul Fasal)
Phillip Fuller	....	technical assistant
John Gutierrez	....	cable puller/second boom operator
Robert Hein	....	supervising sound editor
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer
Paul Koronkiewicz	....	boom operator
Avi Laniado	....	technical assistant
Eric McAllister	....	assistant sound editor
Sylvia Menno	....	dialogue editor
Todd Milner	....	foley editor
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor (as Branka Mrkic-Tana)
Douglas Murray	....	adr mixer (as Douglas L. Murray)
Glenfield Payne	....	first sound effects editor
Eric Potter	....	sound effects recordist
Steven Simons	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Steve Simons)
Wyatt Sprague	....	sound effects recordist
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Troeller	....	technical assistant
Brian Vancho	....	foley artist
Magdaline Volaitis	....	sound effects editor
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Wahnon	....	first assistant sound editor
Pawel Wdowczak	....	sound mixer
Akil Wilson	....	apprentice sound editor (as Akil Jelani Wilson)

Special Effects by
Robert J. Scupp	....	special effects coordinator (as Bob Scupp)
John Stifanich	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Randall Balsmeyer	....	visual effects supervisor
Jennifer Basnyat	....	digital artist
J. John Corbett	....	digital animation artist
J. John Corbett	....	digital compositing artist
Jennifer Cossetto	....	digital animation artist
Jennifer Cossetto	....	digital compositing artist
Kathy Kelehan	....	visual effects producer
Naomi Nishimura	....	digital animation artist
Naomi Nishimura	....	digital compositing artist
Eric Person	....	digital animation artist
Eric Person	....	digital compositing artist
Jim Rider	....	digital animation artist
Jim Rider	....	digital compositing artist
Amit Sethi	....	digital animation artist
Amit Sethi	....	digital compositing artist
Jana Spotts	....	visual effects coordinator

Stunts
Chris Barnes	....	stunts
Joseph Barry	....	stunts (as Joe Barry)
Amanda Blew	....	stunts
Paul Bucossi	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
Victor Chan	....	stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Andy Duppin	....	stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
Frank Ferrara	....	stunts
Tim Gallin	....	stunts
Tony Guida	....	stunts
Donald John Hewitt	....	stunts (as Donald J. Hewitt)
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts (as Jerry Hewitt)
Jennifer Lamb	....	stunts
Joanne Lamstein	....	stunts
Jalil Jay Lynch	....	stunts
Steve Mack	....	stunts
Jack McLaughlin	....	stunts
John Patrick McLaughlin	....	stunts
Kristopher Medina	....	stunts
Mick O'Rourke	....	stunts
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunts
Don Picard	....	stunts
Michael Russo	....	stunt coordinator (as Mike Russo)
Keith Siglinger	....	stunts
Adam Silfin	....	stunts
Derrick Simmons	....	stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunts
Harrison Stimmel	....	stunts
Jimmy P. Wong	....	stunts (as Jimmy Wong)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip
Alison Barton	....	first company grip
Glenn D. Bloom	....	video playback operator (as Glenn Bloom)
Mel Cannon	....	grip
Lamont Crawford	....	dolly grip
Andy Day	....	chief lighting technician (as Andrew J. Day)
Christopher Donohue	....	grip
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator: "a" camera
David Flanigan	....	loader
Michael Fradianni	....	electrician
Charlie Grubbs	....	electrician (as Charles Grubbs)
James Hamilton	....	still photographer
William Hines	....	generator operator: base camp
Michael Hunold	....	electrician
Nils Johnson	....	video playback operator
Francis Leach	....	electrician (as Francis V.H. 'Bosko' Leach)
Kurt Lennig	....	rigging best boy electric
Christopher Liscinsky	....	electrician
Rocco Palmieri	....	best boy electric
John Panuccio	....	key rigging grip
Storn Peterson	....	first assistant camera
Igor Potashanik	....	grip (as Igor Potashnik)
Robert T. Prate	....	best boy rigging grip (as Bob Prate)
Michael Lee Reed	....	generator operator (as Michael L. Reed)
Lowell Schulman	....	rigging lighting technician
Chris Skutch	....	best boy grip
Dustin Smith	....	grip (as Dusty Smith)
Joshua Solson	....	electrician (as Josh Solson)
Steve Speers	....	second assistant camera
Susan Starr	....	additional camera operator
Patrick Taistra	....	rigging grip (as Patrick J. Taistra)
Richard Yacuk	....	rigging grip
Chris Drechsler	....	electrician (uncredited)
Chris Lombardozzi	....	electrician (uncredited)
Roger Marbury	....	electrician (uncredited)
Johnny North	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Byron Crystal	....	extras casting
Sondra James	....	voice casting
Ami Rothschild	....	extras casting coordinator
Cindy Tolan	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Adkins	....	wardrobe supervisor
Stephanie Biear	....	head seamstress
Diana J. Collins	....	set costumer
Lisa Emerson	....	set costumer (as Lisa Emerson Machione)
Sharon Globerson	....	assistant costume designer
Vahram Mateosian	....	tailor
Katie Novello	....	costume production assistant
Gali Noy	....	costume production assistant
Gretchen Patch	....	assistant costume designer: Los Angeles
Lisa Salomon	....	costume production assistant
Hartsell Taylor	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marian Toy	....	additional costumer
Maya Vaughan	....	additional costumer: Los Angeles (as Maya Vaughn)
Lara Greene	....	additional seamstress (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Erin Crackel	....	second assistant editor
Ann Gray	....	post-production coordinator
Ben Hasler	....	post-production assistant
Daniel R. Padgett	....	additional editor
Chris Patterson	....	first assistant editor (as Christopher Patterson)
Dana Ross	....	color timer
Lou Levinson	....	telecine colorist: high definition (uncredited)

Music Department
Nico Abondolo	....	musician: bass
Robert Casale	....	music engineer
Jon Clark	....	musician: woodwinds
Lavant Coppock	....	musician: guitar
Brian Dembow	....	musician: viola
Marsha Dickstein	....	musician: harp (as Marcia Dickstein)
Larry Dominello	....	musician: piano
Martin Flores	....	musician: percussion
Bruce Fowler	....	musician: trombone
Julie Gigante	....	musician: violin
Endre Granat	....	musician: violin
Christopher Guardino	....	musician: piano, celeste, harpsichord, organ
Christopher Guardino	....	orchestrations
Annette Kudrak	....	music editor
Stewart Lerman	....	music recording mixer
David Low	....	music contractor
Jill Meyers	....	music clearance
Michael Miller	....	musician: guitar
Alexander Moore	....	musician: whistler
Paul Morin	....	musician: bass
Mark Mothersbaugh	....	musician: celeste, organ and guitar
Daniel R. Padgett	....	musician: whistler
Gordon Peeke	....	musician: drums
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor
Carlos Rodriguez	....	orchestrator
Marshall Sella	....	musician: whistler
David Speltz	....	musician: cello (as Dave Speltz)
Sally Stevens	....	choir contractor
Chet Swiatkowsky	....	musician: harpsichord (as Chet Swaitkowski)
Booker White	....	music preparation
Danping Wong	....	music coordinator
Bruce Young Berman	....	musician: guitar solos (uncredited)
Michael Boustead	....	music editor (uncredited)
Mike Deasy	....	musician (uncredited)
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor (uncredited)
Kim Naves	....	music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Timothy Shannon	....	transportation co-captain
James Patrick Whalen Jr.	....	transportation captain (as James P. Whalen)

Other crew
Jordan Alport	....	production assistant
Eric Chase Anderson	....	artist: Richie's artwork and original illustrations
Malcolm Auchincloss	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Gino J. Beneventano	....	chef
Dawn Bridgewater	....	production assistant
Ashlee Burnette	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Stephen Carr	....	location scout
Amy Carter	....	first assistant accountant
Augie Carton	....	key set production assistant
Steven P. Costabile	....	medic
Judy Dickerson	....	dialect coach
Bob Dickey	....	projectionist
Stephen Dignan	....	accounting clerk
Frances Fiore	....	unit publicist
Sean Garrett Fogel	....	production coordinator (as Sean Fogel)
Sara Gagliardi	....	accounting clerk
Joan H. Geismar	....	consultant: archaeology
Megan Gerard	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Eliot Gerstel	....	production office secretary
Theresa C. Gillen	....	production assistant (as Teresa C. Gillen)
Darren Glover	....	assistant parking coordinator
Greg Goossen	....	stand-in: Gene Hackman
Gwen Griffiths	....	animal trainer (as Gwen Griffith)
Edith Hagigi	....	assistant: Mr. Stiller
Krista Haimovitch	....	location coordinator
Michael E. Hernandez	....	caterer (as Mike Hernandez)
Jared Hohl	....	office production assistant
Stacy Hrisohoidis	....	assistant craft service
Nick Julious	....	assistant craft service
Elizabeth Klenk	....	production assistant
Emily Klimkiewicz	....	researcher
Lars Knudsen	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Kim Kraftsky	....	animal trainer (as Kim Krafsky)
Nora Lynch	....	production assistant
April Mackin	....	animal trainer
Brad Marro	....	production assistant
Chris Marsh	....	location assistant
Steve McAuliff	....	animal trainer
Andrew McCabe	....	production assistant
Patrick McDonald	....	production assistant
Christian McHenry	....	office production assistant (as Chris McHenry)
Sarisa Middleton	....	assistant: Mr. Glover
Jason Miller	....	assistant: Barry Mendel
Alexander Moore	....	assistant: Mr. Anderson
Heather Neeld	....	assistant production coordinator
Leda Nornang	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Kelly O'Bier	....	second assistant accountant
Charley Parlapanides	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (as Charles Parlapanides)
Derek Pastures	....	parking coordinator
Scott Peterson	....	script supervisor
Tony Phillippe	....	production assistant
John Read	....	location assistant (as John Reed)
Mike Reilly	....	office production assistant
Sarah Schechter	....	assistant: Barry Mendel
Robert Schiff	....	assistant craft service
Rob Siwiec	....	production assistant
Penni Smith	....	payroll accountant (as Penni M.M. Smith)
Greg Stillman	....	location assistant
Gwenn Stroman	....	assistant: Ms. Huston
Hail Swam	....	security
Will Sweeney	....	assistant: Mr. Anderson
José Tejada	....	security (as Jose Tejada)
Tim Trevathan	....	production assistant
Jenny Turner	....	assistant: Ms. Paltrow
Lynda Van Damm	....	production accountant
Gayle Vangrofsky	....	assistant location manager
Mark Van Holstein	....	location scout (as Mark Von Holstein)
Joe Violante	....	consultant: dailies (as Joey Violante)
Kevin J. Walsh	....	executive assistant: Mr. Rudin
Thomas J. Whelan	....	location manager (as Tom Whelan)
Derek Wimble	....	production assistant (as Derek R. Wimble)
Tim Ballou	....	script clearance administrator (uncredited)
Patrick Corcoran	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Andrea Goldfein	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mike Le	....	assistant: Owen Wilson (uncredited)
Jennifer Lyne	....	location scout (uncredited)
Peter Madamba	....	script researcher (uncredited)
Reese Nanavati	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Peter Pamela Rose	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Will Rowbotham	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Josh Silfen	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Eva Vedock	....	craft service (uncredited)

Thanks
James L. Brooks	....	thanks
George Drakoulias	....	thanks

Production Companies

• American Empirical Pictures
• Mordecai Films
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (Norway) (????) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International Italia (????) (Yemen) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (????) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Falcon (2002) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (????) (France) (theatrical)
• The Walt Disney Company (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Big Film Design (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• Act One Script Clearance  script clearance and research
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack published by
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Post Logic Studios  color correction
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting

MPAA:

Rated R for some language, sexuality/nudity and drug content.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating) | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:14A (Ontario) (video rating: 2004) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #38556) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

144th Street & Convent Avenue, Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

American Empirical Pictures

Trivia:

The glasses that Anjelica Huston wears as Etheline Tenenbaum actually belong to Wes Anderson's mother.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kumar and Royal are in the game closet, there is an shot of one of the Dalmatian mice running across a shelf filled with games. The games in this shot are arranged in a completely different order than in the rest of the scene (and the previous game closet scene).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Royal Tenenbaum bought the house on Archer Avenue in the winter of his 35th year. Over the next decade, he and his wife had three children, and then they separated.

Movie Connections:

References A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Everyone

It's more than quirky!

With 'The Royal Tenenbaums', Wes Anderson turns his lens to the American family, warts and all. The Tenenbaums are a dysfunctional family – the parents have been separated for decades, and Royal (Gene Hackman) is a disbarred attorney who has long since moved out of the family's enormous house (in an unnamed city of course). The children, all geniuses and overachievers in their own way, are then raised by Etheline (Angelica Houston), an archeologist. Chas (Ben Stiller) is a financial wizard, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), is adopted and was a published playwright at 11, and Richie (Luke Wilson) is a tennis prodigy. We are provided the family history at the start of the film, then are introduced to the family 22 years later. Chas is still a financial wizard, but, having lost his wife in a plane accident is now the paranoid father of two small sons. Margot is married to Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray, who is basically Anderson's muse), is depressed and hasn't written in years, and Richie, after having a nervous breakdown on the tennis court a couple of years earlier is traveling the world by boat. Still hanging around is Eli (Owen Wilson) a long-time family friend from across the street who is now a literature professor and successful novelist. Etheline is being wooed by her accountant, Henry (Danny Glover) and when Royal gets wind of this, he embarks on a bid to win his family back after not speaking with them for years.

Wes Anderson has an unusual style of film-making that has been static throughout his career. Highly theatrical, almost in the style of a play, he presents the story of the Tenenbaums to us as if it were taken directly from a book, so much so that if you were to read the few sentences that are visible in the book that accompanies the beginning of each 'chapter', you would see that the written narrative follows the action to the letter. Anderson favors primary colors, and characters that are identifiable by very distinct appearances. Chas and his sons have their red track suits they always wear, Margot wears the clip in her hair, Izod dresses from the 80's and dark eyeliner surrounding her eyes, Richie wears the sweatband around his head, Eli is in cowboy gear and Raleigh looks like a Freud knockoff. One of the results is that there are varying degrees of recognition for the actor in 'real life'. When seeing Raleigh, it's easy to forget that it is Bill Murray, and Margot for that matter is so different from how we are used to seeing Paltrow. Certainly, this is Anderson's intent. Anderson also favors point of view shots, characters looking directly at or addressing the camera, and is also one of the few modern masters in the use of music. The soundtrack to 'The Royal Tenenbaums' features some classic songs (Ruby Tuesday, Hey Jude) but also has some obscure tracks that are bizarre and fit into the scene beautifully.

'The Royal Tenenbaums' has a phenomenal cast, and all of the actors are excellent in the film. I get the strong impression that, since Anderson isn't a mainstream film director, A-list actors sign up to work for him because of his alternative vision and his obvious talent. When I watched this film recently, I asked the two friends I saw it with what they thought, and they both said 'It was quirky'. Since they are both film lovers, I was a little disappointed in this narrow (and obvious) assessment of the film at first. Upon further reflection, however, I realized that they both come from households that have parents who are still together. Coming from a 'broken home' I can relate to the high dysfunction of the Tenenbaums as an adult and embrace the story beyond the presentation, despite its highly stylized format. 'The Royal Tenenbaums' is a brilliant film that is both emotional and eye-catching, and truly cements Wes Anderson as an exciting and talented filmmaker. 9/10

--Shelly