Anthony is about to be released
from a metal health sanctuary (one in which he checked himself into because he
was having a hard time dealing with normal life and its pressures). Waiting for
him with eager anticipation is his best friend Dignan (a mass of nervous energy
who might actually be crazy). Dignan has big plans for the friends now that
Anthony is out – plans that involve pulling off an elaborate theist.
Bottle Rocket is auteur Wes
Anderson’s first film, which he co-wrote with Owen Wilson. Stylistically, the
film least resembles what fans of Anderson have come to expect from his work,
but it certainly embodies the genesis of his style and directing nuances. What is
particularly evident is Anderson’s typical protagonist – a mixture of joy and
sadness who is not quite sure how he fits into the world. Anderson worked with
composer Mark Mothersbaugh,
cinematographer Robert
D. Yeoman, and production designer David Wasco, which fostered brilliant
partnerships (Motherbaugh has scored four Anderson films; Yeoman has shot six
Anderson films; Wasco has designed three Anderson films). James L. Brooks served as the
film’s executive producer (and chief engineer in getting it made).
The film also launched the
careers of the Wilson brothers – Owen, Luke, and Andrew, who were friends with
Anderson at the University of Texas (and the film was made primarily in
Austin). Robert Musgrave, Lumi Cavazos, and James Caan feature in support.
Bottle Rocket was not immediately
accepted by audiences, finding much more of a cult following. However, critics
took notice of it – most notably Martin
Scorsese lists it as one of his ten favorite films of the 1990s. The film
is a wonderful quirky comedy with rich characters (who are refreshingly different).
For fans of Anderson and the resurgence of indie films and auteur filmmakers in
the 1990s, this is a must-see.
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