The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers:

Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 45 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
Irina Gorovaia	...	Young Margot Tenenbaum (as Irene Gorovaia)

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:

family relationships | unconventional family | eccentric family | lesbian kiss | brother brother relationship | 

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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:

4 January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Royal Tenenbaums

Filming Locations:

U.S. Customs House, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$276,981, 16 December 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$52,364,010

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,077,240

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

Scenes aboard the ocean liner, in which Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson) resides, were filmed aboard the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy training vessel "Kings Pointer", based in Kings Point, Long Island, New York.

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Goofs

In the tent, Margot places the phonograph needle in the middle of one side of The Rolling Stones album. However, when the song ends, the needle is shown at the end of the first track.

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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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Crazy Credits

The film title first appears on a library book being checked out, then several of the books are seen, and finally the book cover becomes a title card.

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Alternate Versions

There's another scene involving Etheline Tenenbaum (Anjelica Huston) and Henry Sherman (Danny Glover) eating dinner together. Etheline once again turns him down and leaves while he's lighting a piece of toast on fire.

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Connections

References North by Northwest (1959)

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Soundtracks

String Quartet in F Major
(Second Movement)
Written by Maurice Ravel
Exclusive representation Editions DURAND, Paris (France)
Performed by Ysaye Quartet
Courtesy of Decca Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

hilariously freaky, yet heartrendingly poignant

I've watched The Royal Tennenbaums 3 times so far and just ordered the DVD. How can you beat the cast, the plot, and the humanity of this film?

I dare you to find a better cast than Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, Danny Glover, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and the rest of the crew.

The chemistry between them works magic on the screen.

Without giving away too much of the plot, it revolves around the family of Royal Tennenbaum, a lovable rascal whose family hasn't forgiven him for transgressions of the past. When his estranged wife decides she may want to remarry, the games begin -- and oh what fun games they are. You have to laugh.

Emotionally speaking, you will feel like you're riding a roller-coaster with no dead space. If you are into quirky characters, intelligent humor, and aren't afraid to stare painful aspects of human nature eye to eye, you will love The Royal Tennenbaums.