Having seen many Wes Anderson films before this one, it's harder to appreciate how fresh and original Rushmore was in 1998. That being said, I can still appreciate the great characters, idiosyncratic style, and fabulous soundtrack. Bill Murray owes Anderson a debt of gratitude for reviving his career and Anderson owes Murray for bringing some heavyweight comedic talent to his film and putting him on the map. Rushmore is definitely weird, but ultimately sweet and rewarding.

Wes Anderson's films are confusing, strange and seemingly pointless. They feature EXTREMELY interesting characters--folks who are very, very unique but strange. As far as the plots in many of these films go, they really seem unimportant--like the film is more a platform for a character study than a traditional film plot. This is not necessarily a criticism--more an observation. And, if you don't mind these sort of meandering films, then by all means see "Rushmore".

"Rushmore" is a character study of an ultra-bizarre high school student who is probably nothing like any living person. Jason Schwartzman plays Max--a seriously strange guy who is impossible to adequately describe or classify--though he is really creepy and becomes a stalker. He is super-involved with a zillion school activities and clubs which he started, yet his grades are abominable. He seems like a nice kid at times, but later seems emotionally disturbed and potentially dangerous. He's also thoughtful and nice and yet incredibly thoughtless and a jerk. Do these combinations make sense? The same could be said, to a lesser degree for the other characters--as they often behave inconsistently and are confusing.

So did I like the film? Well, parts of the film were good and I enjoyed them. But the plot just left me very, very cold--as did the extremely deadpan performances (something typical of an Anderson film). My advice is to first see an Anderson film with a more traditional style and plot. While "Moonrise Kingdom" certainly isn't conventional, compared to all his other films, it really is! Try it and if you like it, then try "The Royal Tenenbaums" and THEN "Rushmore". And, if you are really a fan, by all means try "Bottle Rocket" and the rest. But start slowly...your brain will thank you for this!

Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is an odd friendless teen at a private school with lots of useless extracurricular activities. He get put on academic probation, and falls obsessively in love with elementary teacher Miss Cross (Olivia Williams). He befriends an equally odd wealthy Herman Blume (Bill Murray),the owner of a pipe company. She dates Dr. Peter Flynn (Luke Wilson) which raises the ire of Max. Then Herman becomes infatuated with the lovely teacher and Max gets kicked out of private school.

These are truly uncompromisingly odd characters. They are a quirky unconventional group. They are not immediately hilarious but funny in how wacky Schwartzman gets. The dialog is sharp with a lot of unusual Wes Anderson takes. Bill Murray extends his range starting an acting relationship with Wes. It's a wonderful move forward for Wes and friends.