Bottle Rocket (1996)

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

21 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

They're not really criminals, but everybody's got to have a dream.

Plot:

Focusing on a trio of friends and their elaborate plan to pull off a simple robbery and go on the run.

Plot Keywords:

Robbery | Escapade | Motel | Fireworks | Target Practice

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Luke Wilson	...	Anthony Adams
Owen Wilson	...	Dignan (as Owen C. Wilson)
Ned Dowd	...	Dr. Nichols
Shea Fowler	...	Grace
Haley Miller	...	Bernice
Robert Musgrave	...	Bob Mapplethorpe
Andrew Wilson	...	Future Man
Brian Tenenbaum	...	H. Clay Murchison
Jenni Tooley	...	Stacy Sinclair
Temple Nash	...	Temple
Dipak Pallana	...	Bookstore Employee
Darryl Cox	...	Bookstore Manager
Stephen Dignan	...	Rob
Lumi Cavazos	...	Inez
Julie Mayfield	...	Wife in Motelroom
Don Phillips Jr.	...	Husband in Motelroom
Anna Cifuentes	...	Carmen
Donny Caicedo	...	Rocky
Melinda Renna	...	Anita
Richard Reyes	...	Man in Bar
Julio Cedillo	...	Man Outside Bar
Teddy Wilson	...	Hector Mapplethorpe
Jim Ponds	...	Applejack
James Caan	...	Mr. Henry
Tak Kubota	...	Rowboat (as Takayuki Kubota)
Kumar Pallana	...	Kumar
Haskell Craver	...	Jackson (as Haskel Craver)
Jill Parker-Jones	...	Motel Manager
Nena Smarz	...	Maid
Héctor García	...	Freezer Guy (as Hector Garcia)
Daniel R. Padgett	...	Freezer Guy
Russell Towery	...	Cop
Ben Loggins	...	Cop
Linn Mullin	...	Detective
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dan Burkarth	...	Country Club Golfer with Mr. Henry (uncredited)
Lisa Cangelosi	...	(uncredited)
Frank Crim	...	Phil (uncredited)
Jordan Elliott	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Gene Gallerano	...	St. Mark's Student (uncredited)
Leslie Mann	...	Sorority Girl (uncredited)
Richard Phillips	...	Inmate (uncredited)
Raymond Rivera	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Lisa Rotondi	...	Sorority Girl (uncredited)
Amanda Welles	...	Bob's Date (uncredited)
Angus G. Wynne III	...	Podra - Fool Clipping Hedge (uncredited)

Directed by
Wes Anderson

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

Produced by
Barbara Boyle	....	executive producer
James L. Brooks	....	executive producer
L.M. Kit Carson	....	co-producer
Cynthia Hargrave	....	producer
Michael Lang	....	associate producer
Polly Platt	....	producer
Richard Sakai	....	executive producer
Michael Taylor	....	executive producer
Andrew Wilson	....	associate producer
Ray Zimmerman	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Mark Mothersbaugh

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

Film Editing by
David Moritz

Casting by
Liz Keigley

Production Design by
David Wasco

Art Direction by
Jerry Fleming		(as Jerry N. Fleming)

Set Decoration by
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Costume Design by
Karen Patch

Makeup Department
Manny Sarris Jr.	....	makeup artist
Nena Smarz	....	hair designer
Nena Smarz	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Ray Zimmerman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Flowers	....	second second assistant director
Jim Goldthwait	....	first assistant director
Heather Kritzer	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sarah Alcorn	....	assistant property master (as Sarah Brooks Alcorn)
James L. Avery Jr.	....	assistant set dresser (as James Avery)
Bill Cancienne	....	property master
McPherson O. Downs	....	key set dresser (as McPherson O'Reilly Downs)
Ross Dryer	....	leadman
Gretchen Goetz	....	assistant set decorator
Austin Gorg	....	art department production assistant
Holly Harton	....	art department production assistant
Eric Henshaw	....	assistant set dresser
Christian Kastner	....	assistant set dresser
Steven King	....	art department production assistant (as Stephen King)
Roy Metcalf	....	construction coordinator
Robert H. Winn	....	lead scenic painter

Sound Department
Willy Allen	....	foley editor
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer
Robert Appere	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Bromberg	....	foley editor (as Allan Bromberg)
Stacy Brownrigg	....	production sound mixer
John Chalfant	....	sound effects editor (as John Chalfont)
Harry Cheney	....	dialogue editor (as Harry M. Cheney)
David M. Cowan	....	dialogue editor
Carlos Delarios	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Carlos de Larios)
Ali Derakhshan	....	assistant sound editor
Thom Dunaway	....	boom operator
Jeremy J. Gordon	....	supervising sound editor (as Jeremy Gordon)
Roxanne Jones	....	supervising sound editor
Devin Joseph	....	dialogue editor
Mark Lanza	....	sound effects editor (as Mark A. Lanza)
Mark Larry	....	sound effects editor
Carmine Rubino	....	foley mixer
John Sisti	....	adr editor
R. Russell Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eddie Sykes	....	sound utility
Rich Tavtigian	....	sound effects editor
Steven Ticknor	....	sound effects editor
Scott A. Tinsley	....	foley supervisor (as Scot Tinsley)
Greg Farrell	....	adr engineer (uncredited)
Howard London	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Margaret Johnson	....	special effects supervisor
Randy E. Moore	....	special effects

Stunts
Russell Towery	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Stephen Beasley	....	second grip (as Stephen F. Beasley)
John Boccaccio	....	first assistant camera
Michael Dunson	....	dolly grip
Curtis Failor	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Sheridan Farrell	....	film loader
Rocky Ford	....	grip
Phill Fulton	....	key grip
Paul Janossy	....	second assistant camera
Chris Morley	....	chief lighting technician (as Christopher Morley)
Deana Newcomb	....	still photographer
John Nuler	....	Steadicam operator
R. Michael Stringer	....	dolly grip: second unit
Ralph Watson	....	Steadicam operator
Sean Patrick Crowell	....	key grip: second unit (uncredited)
Bill Pecchi	....	underwater camera operator (uncredited)
David Wexler	....	camera intern (uncredited)

Casting Department
Juel Bestrop	....	casting consultant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tere Duncan	....	wardrobe assistant (as Teresa Duncan)
Cathie Filian	....	costumer (as Catherine Bush Cain)
Heather Mosher	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Terry Hubbard	....	assistant film editor
Daniel R. Padgett	....	first assistant film editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Holly Sachi	....	assistant film editor (as Holly-Sachi)
Joe Gawler	....	video colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Kim Naves	....	music editor
Bruce Young Berman	....	musician: guitar solos (uncredited)
Stephen Lotwis	....	music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Joe D. Anderson	....	transportation captain
Danny Carpenter	....	transportation coordinator
Todd Painter	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Melissa Anderson	....	production assistant
Charles C. Chambers	....	location manager
John DeWees	....	assistant location manager
Josh Einsohn	....	production assistant
James C. Flores	....	assistant production coordinator
James Grayford	....	craft service
Greg Jackson	....	production assistant
Melissa Jones	....	production secretary
Maria Kavanaugh	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks
Anthony E. Kountz	....	production assistant
Shauna L. Kroen	....	production accountant
Lisa Matsukawa	....	production coordinator
Todd McCord	....	production assistant
Anthony Miller	....	assistant location manager
Katherine Miller	....	assistant: Mr. Caan
Felicia Nalivansky	....	assistant: Mr. Sakai
Scott Peterson	....	script supervisor
Michael Ross	....	assistant: Mr. Anderson
Michael K. Ross	....	assistant: Mr. Anderson (as Michael Ross)
Jeffrey Shepherd	....	production assistant
George L. Tarrant Jr.	....	production assistant
Kelly Wade	....	assistant: Ms. Platt
Sandra L. Yeary	....	assistant accountant
Homer Jon Young	....	assistant: Ms. Platt
Isabelle Young	....	assistant: Mr. Anderson
John Martin Davis	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Dean Reading	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Juel Bestrop	....	special thanks
Barry Braverman	....	special thanks
Bert Guthrie	....	special thanks
Paula Herold	....	special thanks
John Roman	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Gracie Films

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Releasing (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1997) (Argentina) (all media)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• LK-TEL (1997) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  opticals (as C.F.I. Titles & Opticals)
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Sony Pictures Studios  sound services (as Sony Pictures Entertainment)
• Technicolor  prints

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:14A | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:16 | USA:R (certificate #33597) | Ireland:15 | UK:15 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Wes Anderson] [The Rolling Stones]Features "2000 Year Man".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bob Maplethorpe and Dignan come back to the motel room to find a party in progress, one of the maids who is sitting on the bed with Rocky and Inez is wearing a party hat that disappears and reappears between shots without her taking it off.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Anthony:Hey, Dr Nichols, I was just coming down to say goodbye...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Robots (2005)

Soundtrack:

7 & 7 Is

Doesn't explode, yet isn't a dud

The story of Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket goes a little something like this. Anderson shot a thirteen minute short film, featuring the three leads of this picture, showed it at Sundance, got the attention of filmmaker James L. Brooks, and he was one of the seven producers on the film adaptation of the short. While a box office failure, the picture launched the reputations of both Luke and Owen Wilson as actors and Wes Anderson has an eclectic director.

We are taken to the upper-class Texas suburbs where Dignan (Owen Wilson) breaks his brother Anthony (Wilson) out of a mental hospital, and plan to conduct a series of elaborate heists with their friend Bob (Musgrave). Their goal is to challenge life in suburbia and rebel against the norms of recurring, everyday life. Haven't we heard that before.

After they stage a pitiful robbery at a bookstore, the three "go on the lam" at a hotel. While there, Anthony meets and falls in love with a housekeeper named Ines (Cavazos), and Dignan fears that with Bob's continued incompetence and lack of loyalty, along with Anthony's lovestruck ways that their dreams of being robbers are over.

One thing I was immediately impressed with was the warm look Bottle Rocket accompanies throughout its runtime. It's common to have a layer of cynicism in movies, but it seems that Wes Anderson's directorial effort is determined to fine the whimsicality of movies, the softness of their appearance, and the overall genial aspect of film itself. In short, the film always looks crisp and gentle. Not to mention, the actors are all flavorful, with both the Wilson brothers giving rather memorable performances, and the late appearance of James Caan is a pretty nice addition to the film.

Though some marginally convincing performances, warmth, and identifiable whimsicality can not entirely elevate a picture, and that is where Anderson's Bottle Rocket flounders. It's so thin and trudges through its ninety minute runtime at a sluggish pace. The dialog scenes are nice, but rather uninvolving, as we learn that these characters truly have no motives of robbing random places other than to be difficult and stand out. As a whole, the film starts off slow, becomes vaguely amusing for a brief amount of time, before the experience ends and the whole thing is quickly forgotten. Sort of like a bottle rocket itself.

Starring: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Lumi Cavazos, and James Caan. Directed by: Wes Anderson.