The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when one of their member announces he has a terminal illness.

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers:

Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Royal Tenenbaum
Anjelica Huston	...	Etheline Tenenbaum
Ben Stiller	...	Chas Tenenbaum
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Margot Tenenbaum
Luke Wilson	...	Richie Tenenbaum
Owen Wilson	...	Eli Cash
Bill Murray	...	Raleigh St. Clair
Danny Glover	...	Henry Sherman
Seymour Cassel	...	Dusty
Kumar Pallana	...	Pagoda
Alec Baldwin	...	Narrator (voice)
Grant Rosenmeyer	...	Ari Tenenbaum
Jonah Meyerson	...	Uzi Tenenbaum
Aram Aslanian-Persico	...	Young Chas Tenenbaum
Irene Gorovaia	...	Young Margot Tenenbaum

Storyline

Three grown prodigies, all with a unique genius of some kind, and their mother are staying at the family household. Their father, Royal had left them long ago, and comes back to make things right with his family.

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Plot Keywords:

child prodigy | terminal illness | genius | tennis player | skeleton | 

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Taglines:

You Are Invited To A Remarkable Family Gathering.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language, sexuality/nudity and drug content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

14 December 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los excéntricos Tenenbaums

Filming Locations:

144th Street & Convent Avenue, Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$59,632 (Sweden) (22 March 2002)

Gross:

$52,353,636 (USA) (14 June 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, American Empirical Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The hand that is seen with the BB lodged between its knuckles is not Ben Stiller's, but Andrew Wilson's, brother of Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson. When they were children, Owen fired a BB gun at Andrew's hand and the pellet has been there ever since.

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Goofs

When Royal and Pagoda first meet in front of the hot-dog stand, the blind man with a dog sitting on a bench behind them has sunglasses in one shot and no sunglasses in the next.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Royal Tenenbaum bought the house on Archer Avenue in the winter of his 35th year. Over the next decade, he and his wife had three children, and then they separated.

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Connections

Referenced in Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Needle In The Hay"
Written by Elliott Smith
Published by Spent Bullets Music/Careers BMG Music Publishing
Performed by Elliott Smith
Courtesy of Kill Rock Stars
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Thank you Wes Anderson! The film is brilliant!

I think if someone tries to watch a Wes Anderson film, they have to have a certain kind mind to understand the real meaning of them. After being awed by the Royal Tenenbaums, I left with a certain kind of joy that only a great film can give me. It's like flying an electric kite, it's that hard of a buzz. As I began my travel down the stairs of the theater, I heard this couple talking about how stupid the movie was, and how they are going to ask for a refund. I suddenly smiled, because I hoped that they would get one. I think that I got something out of the film that they didn't. That inside the frames of the movie I felt like I was in good company and had a understanding for the material that they didn't. What is so good about the Royal Tenenbaums? The great detail in every frame, from the costumes (and they really are costumes)to the design of Chas, Margot, and Richie rooms and the house. This is brilliant film on every level, a delight for the senses and for the mind. This movie makes you think, and without giving too much away there is a lot of surprises that come from the characters dialogue and their past. High kudos go to Luke Wilson, I loved his performance as the suffering Richie. If you loved Rushmore, there is no doubt that you will love this film because it is at par with it, except that its a bit darker in tone. I think its funny that way that people look at film, we each love or hate a film based on our own perception(and mind there are people who just watch film for entertainment). So if you have a complicated mind and you enjoy watching a challenging film, then the Royal Tenenbaums is for you. As for me, I plan on watching it again so I find more things to love about it. Thank you Wes Anderson, so much. You made laugh, you made me smile and I cried. A thousand times, thank you!