Bottle Rocket (1996)

Three friends plan to pull off a simple robbery and go on the run.

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers:

Owen Wilson (as Owen C. Wilson), Wes Anderson

Stars:

Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ned Dowd

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a hare-brained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry. With the help of their pathetic neighbor and pal Bob, Anthony and Dignan pull a job and hit the road, where Anthony finds love with motel maid Inez. When our boys finally hook up with Mr. Henry, the ensuing escapade turns out to be far from what anyone expected.

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Plot Keywords:

texas | caper | dark humor | motel | escapade | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

21 February 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bottle Rocket

Filming Locations:

Hinckley Cold Storage - 4008 Commerce Street, Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$124,118, 25 February 1996

Gross USA:

$560,069

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$560,069

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Gracie Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a black and white picture of Jacques-Yves Cousteau hanging on the wall during the party.

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Goofs

After the bookstore robbery, while at the house after the robbery while celebrating and talking back and forth, you can clearly see police lights flashing behind the trees, which are behind Owen Wilson while the camera is focused on him. This was meant to lead into a scene which was deleted about the police being called to the neighborhood for an unrelated issue but end up discovering Bob's marijuana crop.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in 10-Speed (2001)

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Soundtracks

Prendeme la Vela
Written by Abelardo Vasquez
Performed by Abelardo Vasquez & Cumanana
Courtesy of Luaka Bop
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Published by Shake Boom

User Reviews

overlooked but quite charming

This tale of three aspiring thieves has as much heart as any Wes Anderson film. As usual, Anderson presents flawed characters for whom you will feel compassion. But this comedy does not attempt to make you cry. Filled with dry humor, this script was the first of three to have been co-written by Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson. If you are in the camp that prefers Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums, you will find that this script feels more like those films than Anderson's more recent work.

Although this movie has a smaller budget than Anderson's other films, the director is able to put together a fun film. Anderson compiles one of his great soundtracks despite being unable to afford royalty-heavy songs.

Perhaps not yet confident enough to take risks, Anderson does not engage in the visual experimentation found in his other films. Although you might miss the liberal use of vivid colors found in all other Anderson films, I think the fantastic sets and props (such as the submarine or the helicopter in Life Aquatic) are best left out of this simpler, more realistic film.