Posted on September 28th, 2008 in Doc, Movies by Doctor Detroit
I’m writing this paragraph last, because I’ve just reread what I’ve written and it is kind of contrary to what has been posted here at the Attacked By Gorillas in the past. I mean, who wants to read about some guy gushing over some director? But whatever, the whole point of art is that it inspires some kind of emotional response, and that it’s something worth talking about, it’s supposed to make us want to talk about. Even if the response is “that was pretty damn cool, right?.” So, whatever. I need to post something, so here goes nothing.
The first movie I ever watched that made me want to immediately watch it again was Rushmore. Not because of the special effects or anything like that, it wasn’t a “Oh wow, I need to see that again!” kind of feeling, but more of a “Oh wow, I need to see that again!” moment. I’ve been a huge fan of Anderson’s work ever since, and have watched Rushmore easily 100 more times in the past ten years or whatever it’s been. At one point, I had Rushmore as my all-time favorite movie because of how important that initial viewing was to me, but it’s since been replaced, by… well, I don’t know. I guess I need to think about that.
The point is, Anderson’s work, in my opinion, defies any other mainstream director because of his ability to make what might seem like a fairly boilerplate story on paper seem like something unique; his characters are all so strange and quirky that at times it seems like we’re watching something that could be happening in our own weird and imperfect lives. Granted, The Darjeeling Limited and The Life Aquatic don’t focus on the ordinary as much as Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums did, but the same dynamics are still there: families and friends, struggling to find a way.
(Yes, I know I’m leaving out Bottle Rocket. I’m a hypocrite. I’m sorry.)
Another reason I’m a big fan of Anderson’s work is that I can chart his movies through my late teens and into my late 20s and appreciate each movie for what it meant to me when I first saw it, a la Rushmore, and what I think of it now, and how I’ve changed. A little inflection is good sometimes, you know? I saw Rushmore at a point in my life where I had no idea where I was going to go and wanted desperately to latch onto something, and so was Max Fischer. I saw The Royal Tenenbaums at a point where I was dealing with major personal issues and needed to understand where I fit, and so did Richie. Steve Zissou was clinging onto the past and needed to live in the present, and so did I. The Darjeeling Limited is about the conflict between needing to be yourself and your sense of duty to others in your life, and that’s something we all have to deal with.
But, beyond the sappy inflective and emotional reasons for being a fan of Anderson’s work, the main reason I’m a fan, and you should be a fan, is because of Bill Murray. I don’t need to rattle off every hilarious movie Bill Murray has been a part of. That said, he’s a completely different actor now than he was 30 years ago, and it’s pretty remarkable that he completely changed his style, became more “serious” or whatever, and is still completely, unbelievably hilarious. Dr. Peter Venkman vs. Dr. Raleigh St. Claire could be a Faceoff!, for crying out loud. Steve Zissou fights pirates with Iggy and the Stooges playing! How much more awesome can it get than that?
So what’s the point of this, besides giving me the chance to publicly crush on Wes Anderson? Not much. It’s a good exercise though, to think through a series of movies like this and think about what it all means to you. Maybe it is kind of lame, but I think it’s worth it because it makes you appreciate the artists that much more.