Rushmore

Directed By Wes Anderson
Starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams

This month’s REEL TALK Presents screening—as voted by you!—is Wes Anderson’s late 90s sophomore feature, Rushmore.

Despite pursuing a dizzying range of extracurricular activities and presiding over multiple clubs, 15-year-old Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is the worst student at Rushmore prep school. With one last chance to improve his grades, Max becomes infatuated with first-grade school teacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Turning to his rich and depressed friend and mentor Herman Blume (Bill Murray) for advice on how to woo the teacher, Max inadvertently brings the two lonely adults together when his outlandish displays of love get him expelled from school. Facing an identity crisis, the brash and precocious former king of Rushmore wages war on his former ally.

Offering a preview of what would become Wes Anderson’s signature style, this coming-of-age cult comedy is a classic example of the auteur’s distinctive use of vibrant colour palettes, deadpan humour, quirky costumes, and perfectly framed storybook shots. Alongside comedy icon Bill Murray, a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson, Rushmore also features the film debut of Jason Schwartzman who has since appeared in six other Anderson films, including 2023’s Asteroid City.

Join us in The Kitchen after the film for a post-screening discussion and help us vote for our next community choice!