Rushmore is the story of a boy in high school who is struggling to find his place in life. Although that sounds cliché, the movie certainly is not. Wes Anderson, who directed and co-wrote Rushmore with Owen Wilson, tells the story of Max Fischer, played by Jason Schwartzman. Although seemingly a bright person, Max Fischer’s grades are just not up to par. Because of his love for extracurricular activities such as language clubs, the school newspaper, and yearbook, he has found little time for his school work. He is placed on sudden death academic probation and must get his grades up to snuff or lose his scholarship to Rushmore High School.
Max has a very eccentric personality, which brings him to compete head to head with Herman Blume (Bill Murray) for the affections of Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), a first grade teacher at the school. Herman Blume, a rich man of similar eccentricity, has been seeing Rosemary, and Max becomes especially angry when Rosemary tries to turn him down. Max becomes a scheming, wicked character with revenge on his mind, and the side of him that is shown earlier by his chronic lying habits is brought out into the open. Rushmore is a great film about an outsider with everyone out to stifle his creativity, but also about an adolescent coming to terms with his place in the world.
Charlie Driscoll
Film Club
