Rushmore (1998)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

5 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

"She was my Rushmore"

Plot:

The king of Rushmore prep school is put on academic probation.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | Prep School | Friendship | Student | Private School

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 13 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Jason Schwartzman	...	Max Fischer
Bill Murray	...	Herman Blume
Olivia Williams	...	Rosemary Cross
Seymour Cassel	...	Bert Fischer
Brian Cox	...	Dr. Nelson Guggenheim
Mason Gamble	...	Dirk Calloway
Sara Tanaka	...	Margaret Yang
Stephen McCole	...	Magnus Buchan
Connie Nielsen	...	Mrs. Calloway
Luke Wilson	...	Dr. Peter Flynn
Dipak Pallana	...	Mr. Adams (as Deepak Pallana)
Andrew Wilson	...	Coach Beck
Marietta Marich	...	Mrs. Guggenheim
Ronnie McCawley	...	Ronny Blume
Keith McCawley	...	Donny Blume
Hae Joon Lee	...	Alex
Adebayo Asabi	...	Mr. Obiomiwe
Al Fielder	...	Ernie
Colin Platt	...	Boy Portraying Frank Serpico
George Farish	...	O'Reilly
Francis Fernandez	...	Burnum
McCauley Penderdast	...	Fields
Eric Weems	...	Willie
Dalton Tomlin	...	Wrestler
Wallace Wolodarsky	...	Referee (as Wally Wolodarsky)
Kim Terry	...	Mrs. Blume
Ella Pryor	...	Woman Back Stage
Paul Schiff	...	Waiter
Antoni Scarano	...	Small Boy Artist
Brian Tenenbaum	...	Contractor
Thayer McClanahan	...	School Reporter / George
Patricia Winkler	...	Mrs. Whitney
Manning Mott	...	Mr. Halsted
J.J. Stonebraker	...	Woody
Donny Caicedo	...	40 Ounce
Ali Ktiri	...	Benjamin
Michael Maggart	...	Concierge
Robbie Lee	...	Isaac
Morgan Redmond	...	Bellman
Ed Geldart	...	Security Guard
David Moritz	...	Dynamite Salesman
John Killalea	...	Tommy Stalling (as J.J. Killalea)
William Lau	...	Mr. Yang
Lucille Sadikin	...	Mrs. Yang
Steve Eckelman	...	Tennis Pro
Eric Chase Anderson	...	Architect
Danny Fine	...	Coach Fritz
Kyle Ryan Urquhart	...	Regis
Kumar Pallana	...	Mr. LittleJeans
Stephen Dignan	...	Reuben
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Reggie Dees II	...	High School student with football jersey on in hallway (uncredited)
Nathaniel Holt	...	Audience member (uncredited)
Erich Lane	...	Student (uncredited)
Trey Lefarge	...	Student Wrestling Spectator (uncredited)
Frank Page	...	Professor Murray (uncredited)
Brandon Trost	...	Vietnamese Soldier with Rocket Launcher (uncredited)
Jason Trost	...	Party Kid (uncredited)

Directed by
Wes Anderson

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

Produced by
Wes Anderson	....	executive producer
John Cameron	....	co-producer
Barry Mendel	....	producer
Paul Schiff	....	producer
Owen Wilson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mark Mothersbaugh

Cinematography by
Robert D. Yeoman		(as Robert Yeoman)

Film Editing by
David Moritz

Casting by
Mary Gail Artz
Barbara Cohen

Production Design by
David Wasco

Art Direction by
Andrew Laws

Set Decoration by
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco		(as Alexandra Reynolds-Wasco)

Costume Design by
Karen Patch

Makeup Department
Frances Hannon	....	hair stylist: Bill Murray
Frances Hannon	....	makeup artist: Bill Murray
Bob Harper	....	key hair stylist (as Robert W. Harper)
Bob Harper	....	key makeup artist (as Robert W. Harper)
Sally J. Harper	....	key hair stylist
Sally J. Harper	....	key makeup artist
Terri Harper	....	hair stylist (as Theresa Harper)
Terri Harper	....	makeup artist (as Theresa Harper)
Bart Mixon	....	prosthetic makeup artist (as Bart J. Mixon)

Production Management
John Cameron	....	unit production manager
Christine C. Fransen	....	production supervisor (as Christine Fransen)
Alex Schwartz	....	production executive: Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Cedar	....	first assistant director
Conte Matal	....	second assistant director
Donald Murphy	....	second second assistant director (as Donald W. Murphy)

Art Department
Amanda Anderson	....	assistant set decorator
David M. Bowen	....	assistant property master
Daniel Bradford	....	set designer
Austin Gorg	....	assistant art director
Nicole Gorg	....	art department assistant
Jeffrey B. Hartmann	....	lead man (as Jeffrey B. Hartman)
Chad Loucks	....	construction foreman
Melissa Matthies	....	property master
David Melito	....	art department assistant
Roy Metcalf	....	construction coordinator
E. Colleen Saro	....	on-set dresser
Wallace R. Symns	....	greens coordinator (as Wallace R. Syms)
Ric Trzeciak	....	assistant property master
Mark Van Stone	....	calligrapher
Archie Hankins	....	stand-by carpenter (uncredited)
Kelley A. Hankins	....	signwriter (uncredited)
Spanky Lofland	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Christopher Stull	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Franklin Bergad	....	dialogue editor
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Yin Cantor	....	assistant sound effects editor
Kyrsten Mate Comoglio	....	sound effects designer
Malcolm Fife	....	foley editor
Grant Foerster	....	sound re-recording room supervisor
Steve Fontano	....	foley mixer (as Steven Fontano)
Aura Gilge	....	sound effects editor
Doc Kane	....	adr recordist
Larry Mann	....	loop group editor
Marnie Moore	....	foley artist
John Nutt	....	supervising sound editor
Margie O'Malley	....	foley artist
Jim Pasque	....	machine room operator
Frank Rinella	....	foley recordist
Michael Semanick	....	sound re-recording mixer
David A. Smith	....	boom operator (as David Smith)
Scott Streetman	....	cable utility
Pawel Wdowczak	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Ron Trost	....	special effects coordinator
Brandon Trost	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
David Ridlen	....	animator

Stunts
David Sanders	....	stunt coordinator
Jackson Burns	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Mark Chavarria	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lin Oeding	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Boccaccio	....	first assistant camera
Buzzy Burwell	....	best boy electric
Layne Chaney	....	grip
Doug Chartier	....	dolly grip
Cheryl Clarson	....	rigging best boy electric
Peter Clarson	....	rigging gaffer
Dennis Clay	....	key rigging grip
Steven A. Guerrero	....	grip (as Steven Guerreo)
Edison Jackson	....	electrician
Kurt Kornemann	....	rigging grip
Jimmy Lindsey	....	second assistant camera (as Jimmy W. Lindsey)
Billy MacTavish	....	electrician (as W.K. MacTavish II)
Doug Mercer	....	best boy rigging grip
Vojislav Mikulic	....	gaffer (as Voya Mikulic)
Danny Navarette	....	electrician
Van Redin	....	still photographer
Mike Sheeren	....	best boy grip (as Michael Sheeren)
Ferrell A. Shinnick	....	key grip
Kevin Sims	....	electrician
Val Sklar	....	camera loader
Peter J. Verrando	....	24 frame video operator (as Peter Verrando)
Sean Wright	....	grip (as Sean R. Wright)
Jeff Lanes	....	dimmer board operator (uncredited)
Wally Rowell	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Andy Stefanek	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Juel Bestrop	....	additional casting
Nancy Doyle	....	casting: Northeast
Liz Keigley	....	local casting
Debra Secher	....	casting associate
Beth Sepko	....	extras casting
Maura Tighe	....	casting: Northeast
Debra Zane	....	additional casting
Angela Dee	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cathie Filian	....	costume supervisor (as Catherine Allen Busch)
Jamelle Flowers	....	wardrobe assistant
Jennifer Long	....	on-set costumer
Leeann Radeka	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Lin Coleman	....	assistant editor (as Lin Coleperson)
Terry Hubbard	....	assistant editor
Gloria Kaiser	....	color timer
Daniel R. Padgett	....	first assistant editor
Ron Radvinsky	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Michael Baber	....	music editor
Robert Casale	....	score recordist
Mark Mothersbaugh	....	orchestrator
Kathy Nelson	....	executive in charge of music: Buena Vista Motion Picture Group
Christopher S. Parker	....	music coordinator (as Chris Parker)
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor
Danping Wong	....	musician contractor
Bruce Young Berman	....	musician: guitar solos (uncredited)
Brian King	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Fred Davis	....	transportation co-captain
Ron Kern	....	transportation coordinator
Marti Wells	....	transportation captain
Rick Damazio	....	driver (uncredited)
Jimmy Ray Pickens	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Carrie Albers	....	production assistant
Monica Allen	....	assistant: Mr. Mendel, Texas (as Monica Ann Allen)
Linda Brattain	....	payroll accountant
Ted Broden	....	assistant: Mr. Schiff, Texas
Craig Busch	....	location manager (as Craig Allen Busch)
Cecilia Cardwell	....	teacher (as Cecilia M. Cardwell)
Lydia Cedrone	....	post-production accountant
Jessica Dailey	....	production assistant
Virginia Díaz	....	assistant location manager (as Virginia Diaz)
Steve Eckelman	....	assistant: Mr. Schwartzman
Moira Gill	....	assistant: Mr. Anderson (as Moira C. Gill)
Michael Grigsby	....	accountant
Jason Hawkins	....	assistant: Mr. Schiff, Los Angeles
Jonathan Hennessey	....	production assistant
Kalen Hoyle	....	bee wrangler
Vicki Daniels Johnson	....	medic
Vicki V. Johnson	....	medic (as Vickie Daniels Johnson)
Victor Lacour	....	production assistant
Angela Laux	....	stand-in: Miss Williams
Stephen Light	....	assistant production coordinator
Tammy Lorkovic	....	unit publicist
Scott Peterson	....	script supervisor
Renee Roth	....	dog trainer
Rip Russell	....	first assistant accountant
Jennifer Simpson	....	assistant: Mr. Mendel, Los Angeles
Doug Terranova	....	animal wrangler
Linell Kathleen Townes	....	production assistant
Melissa Wiechmann	....	production coordinator
Michael R. Wohlfield	....	bee wrangler (as Michael R. Wohlfeld)
Mikayla Abromowitz	....	intern (uncredited)
Thom Buckley	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Waleed Hassan	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Laura King	....	on-set medic (uncredited)
Mike Le	....	assistant: Owen Wilson (uncredited)

Thanks
Julie Ansell	....	thanks
James L. Brooks	....	thanks
J.H. Lartique	....	thanks: photos
Davia Nelson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• American Empirical Pictures
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1999) (Finland) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Buena Vista International (Argentina)
• Buena Vista Pictures
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• Gativideo (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (France)

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Halo Productions  animation and models furnished by
• London Records  soundtrack published by
• Loop Troop  additional voices performed by
• Mutato Muzika  score recording
• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles and opticals
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound editing, foley and re-recording at
• St. John's School  thanks

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Baytown, Texas, USA

Company:

American Empirical Pictures

Trivia:

The book Max is reading at the beginning of the movie is "Diving for Sunken Treasure" by Jacques Yves Cousteau who was the main inspiration for Wes Anderson's later film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Goofs:

Continuity: When Max meets Blume, Dr. Guggenheim's hand holding his pipe.

Quotes:

Herman Blume: Why did you ask me to come here?
Max Fischer: Oh, I was going to drop that tree on you.
Herman Blume: That big one?
Max Fischer: Yeah.
Herman Blume: It would've flattened me like a pancake.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Nothin' In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl

Wes Anderson reaches cinematic excellence with Rushmore, a story about Max Fischer a young man who's trying to find his own place in the world

Wes Anderson's Rushmore is a movie full of everything that modern day cinematic crap movies lack; dry humor, unique writing, music that makes a scene unforgettable, and real heart. I feel as though Rushmore is cinematic excellence, Max Fischer is the perfectly flawed yet absolutely brilliant character who tries to find his place in the world, whether it's by engrossing himself in extracurricular activities or pretending he's the son of a neurosurgeon. All of the characters are finely tuned, Herman Blume is a successful man who feels worthless, Miss Cross is a brilliant woman who feels only sorrow because of the loss of her husband. But it is their flaws that make them so wonderful, they aren't boxed into labeled packages, they are raw and real human beings who are just trying to survive. This movie is about, as Max says, finding out what you love and doing it for the rest of your life.

The camera angles in this film are interesting, connecting you to the environment and the characters. Wes Anderson picks the perfect music for each scene, especially for the heartbreaking scene at the end when Miss Cross and Max are dancing to the Faces "Ooh la la." But, what's most brilliant about Rushmore is how it makes you feel; pessimistic yet hopeful, sad yet joyful, confused yet clear-minded. A good movie makes you think but a great movie changes your perspective on the world and this is what Anderson has done. To quote Cousteau, as Miss Cross did in the Diving for Sunken Treasure book, "When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life he has no right to keep it to himself," and I'm glad that Wes Anderson created such an extraordinary movie and shared it with us all.